Cementing his reputation as an innovative instructor, Beichner on Thursday was named North Carolina Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

That award comes on the heels of a national honor announced last month, as Beichner received the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award from the Society for College Science Teachers, an affiliate of the National Science Teachers Association.

Beichner’s contributions to science education, from co-authoring a leading physics textbook to literally changing how students are educated in the classroom through his SCALE-UP project, are the reasons for all the accolades. SCALE-UP borrows methodology and teaching efforts proven to be successful in small class settings – such as hands-on activities, simulations and roundtable discussions – and adapts them for use in larger classrooms. It represents a  radical departure from ordinary science lecture classes.

“Bob has devoted his career to improving the way we teach – and students learn – science at the university level,” said Dr. Daniel Solomon, dean of NC State’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. “His very presence has allowed us to attract other STEM education experts to NC State, creating a community of faculty whose research will put the university at the forefront in this area and further improve postsecondary STEM education for generations to come.”

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Both campuses use Oracle’s PeopleSoft software for their ERP systems – major administrative systems for student services, human resources, payroll and financial. The partnership will focus on the human resources and financial systems. NC State has used PeopleSoft for these functions for a decade and is upgrading to the latest version. UNC-Chapel Hill plans to use those PeopleSoft components.

That timing means information technology offices on both campuses can learn from each other while avoiding duplicating efforts or investments while enhancing services for faculty and staff. The partnership aims to tap the most effective and efficient mix of sharing hardware, software, resources, business operations and vendor contracts to improve effectiveness and reduce costs for both universities. Both campuses are investing equal resources – equipment and staffing. 2013 is the target date for both campuses to be up and running with the new systems.

The idea grew from a previous collaboration by Marc Hoit and Larry Conrad while in technology posts at separate Florida universities. Now they hold the same title – vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer – at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, respectively. They discussed possible joint PeopleSoft work last year as the economic downturn hit. Budget cuts made the opportunity for collaboration and saving money even more compelling.

At NC State, Hoit cited advantages in business continuity if either campus experienced a technology emergency. “Since we will share development, common systems and distribution across both campuses we can have a significant improvement in our disaster recovery ability at little additional cost,” he said.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, Conrad estimated undertaking the same work without NC State’s involvement would have required at least an additional 60 employees. The joint effort may only require about 30 new hires. “By working together, we can leverage the knowledge and skills of employees on both campuses in a way that’s more efficient and significantly reduces the personnel expenses required to get the job done,” he said.

The joint work also has positive implications for increasing the technology purchasing power of both campuses by improving discounts, Hoit and Conrad said. And the changes come at the same time as a new state law covering certain purchases by UNC system campuses.

Joining Hoit and Conrad in leading the partnership are the top financial and human resources administrators on both campuses who will guide teams dedicated to streamlining and developing common business processes and using the same tools and third-party applications.

From the information technology offices, Gwen Hazlehurst from NC State and Jerri Bland from UNC will lead the collaboration. Hazlehurst directs enterprise application systems and oversees PeopleSoft implementation at NC State. She is an alumna of both campuses and the parent of a current Carolina student. Bland is executive director of enterprise applications and has led UNC’s ConectCarolina (ERP) project. The Carolina graduate is experienced in implementing PeopleSoft projects, particularly the human resources and financial components.

Four task committees are exploring the collaboration possibilities for the technical infrastructure, the chart of accounts and the overall human resources and financial systems. One example of the collaboration being considered for early implementation is PeopleSoft’s eProcurement module, which includes a commodity tracking system that may help support efforts to negotiate better prices. UNC-Chapel Hill officials hope to begin this work next month. NC State already uses eProcurement, and that experience will help the UNC team fast track the project.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million Americans have foodborne illness annually, leading to  approximately 5,000 deaths each year, and Chapman notes that holiday turkey meals have been linked to outbreaks of bacterial diseases caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter.

“The biggest risk comes from undercooking,” Chapman says. “Color is not an indicator of safety or doneness. We see suggestions in recipes about making sure ‘the juices run clear,” but that’s a myth. You also have to worry about cross-contamination – which can happen when countertops, sinks or utensils aren’t being cleaned properly between use with raw meats and other foods.”

Chapman is available to field questions from news media at 919/809-3205 or benjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu.

More information on food safety is also available on Ben Chapman’s blog.

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The bulk of neuron production in the central nervous system takes place before birth, and comes to a halt by birth. But scientists have identified specific regions in the core of the brain that retain stem cells into adulthood and continue to produce new neurons.

NC State researchers, investigating the subventricular zone, one of the regions that retains stem cells, have identified a gene that acts as a switch – transforming some embryonic stem cells into adult cells that can no longer produce new neurons. The research was done using mice. These cells form a layer of cells that support adult stem cells. The gene, called FoxJ1, increases its activity near the time of birth, when neural development slows down. However, the FoxJ1 gene is not activated in most of the stem cells in the subventricular zone – where new neurons continue to be produced into adulthood.

Genetically labeled FoxJ1+ cells (green) in a culture dish. These cells differentiate into a unique subset of cells that is distinguishable from known cell types in the adult stem cell niche in the mouse brain (the blue and red cells).

“Research into why and how some stem cells in the subventricular zone continue to produce new neurons is important because a biological understanding of how these cells function can contribute to new treatments to replace damaged or diseased brain tissue, hopefully in regions that cannot do this by themselves,” says Dr. Troy Ghashghaei, an assistant professor of neurobiology at NC State and the senior author of the research. “This research helps us understand brain development itself, which is key to identifying novel approaches for treatment of many neurological disorders.”

When the FoxJ1 gene is activated, it produces a protein that functions as a transcription factor. Transcription factors swim through the nucleus of a cell turning other genes on and off, turning the embryonic stem cell into an adult cell. Some of the adult cells will function as stem cells, creating new neurons, but most will not – instead serving to support the adult stem cells by forming a stem cell “niche.” This niche has a complex cellular architecture that allows adult stem cells to remain active in the subventricular zone.

Ghashghaei’s lab is now moving forward with new research to determine what activates the FoxJ1 gene and how the FoxJ1 protein regulates the expression of other genes. This understanding will reveal how the activation and inactivation of genes controlled by FoxJ1 orchestrates the development of the adult stem cell niche. Ghashghaei’s laboratory is a recent recipient of funding from the National Institutes of Health to support this line of research.

The research was co-authored by members of the Ghashghaei laboratory at NC State including graduate students Benoit Jacquet and Huixuan Liang, research associates Raul Salinas-Mondragon, Blair Therit and Michael Dykstra, as well as a biochemistry undergraduate student Justin Buie. The work was in part a collaboration with investigators from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, UNC at Chapel Hill, and Washington University in St. Louis. The paper, “FoxJ1-dependent gene expression is required for differentiation of radial glia into ependymal cells and a subset of astrocytes in the postnatal brain,” is a featured article in the current issue of the journal Development.

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Note to editors: The study abstract follows.

“FoxJ1-dependent gene expression is required for differentiation of radial glia into ependymal cells and a subset of astrocytes in the postnatal brain”

Authors: Benoit V. Jacquet, Raul Salinas-Mondragon, Huixuan Liang, Blair Therit, Justin D. Buie, Michael Dykstra and H. Troy Ghashghaei, North Carolina State University; Kenneth Campbell, University of Cincinnati; Lawrence E. Ostrowski, UNC-Chapel Hill; and Steven L. Brody of Washington University.

Published: Nov. 11, 2009, Development

Abstract: Neuronal specification occurs at the periventricular surface of the embryonic central nervous system. During early postnatal periods, radial glial cells in various ventricular zones of the brain differentiate into ependymal cells and astrocytes. However, mechanisms that drive this time- and cell-specific differentiation remain largely unknown. Here, we show that expression of the forkhead transcription factor FoxJ1 in mice is required for differentiation into ependymal cells and a small subset of FoxJ1+ astrocytes in the lateral ventricles, where these cells form a postnatal neural stem cell niche. Moreover, we show that a subset of FoxJ1+ cells harvested from the stem cell niche can self-renew and possess neurogenic potential. Using a transcriptome comparison of FoxJ1-null and wild-type microdissected tissue, we identified candidate genes regulated by FoxJ1 during early postnatal development. The list includes a significant number of microtubule-associated proteins, some of which form a protein complex that could regulate the transport of basal bodies to the ventricular surface of differentiating ependymal cells during FoxJ1-dependent ciliogenesis. Our results suggest that time- and cell-specific expression of FoxJ1 in the brain acts on an array of target genes to regulate the differentiation of ependymal cells and a small subset of astrocytes in the adult stem cell niche.

“This research illustrates international disparities in treatment for a disease that we know how to address,” says Dr. Jeff Stonebraker, an assistant professor of business management at NC State and lead author of two new studies on hemophilia prevalence and treatment. “What we’ve found highlights the work that needs to be done by governments, health officials and pharmaceutical manufacturers to address the needs of those suffering with hemophilia in the developing world.”

Type A hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder that affects about 400,000 people – predominantly men – around the world. The disorder prevents blood from clotting normally, creating the risk of serious bleeding or internal bleeding. Ultimately, the disorder can result in severe pain, joint deformities and death in childhood or young adulthood. But the condition can be treated by replacing the missing clotting factor VIII, which enables those suffering from hemophilia A to live relatively normal lives. Unfortunately, the treatment is expensive and new research shows that access to that treatment is severely limited.

“This is the best data there is on a relatively small global population,” says Mark Skinner, president of the World Federation of Hemophilia. “It will be incredibly useful to our members, to manufacturers of treatment products, ministries of health and researchers. These two very important papers help us see where progress is being made and how we can learn lessons that will help us continue to improve care and work toward our goal of treatment for all.”

In the first study, the researchers found that prevalence of hemophilia A in high-income countries was approximately 12.8 per 100,000 males. The prevalence in lower-income countries was approximately 6.6 per 100,000 males. “The medical community tells us that the incidence of hemophilia A – or the number of people born with the condition – is the same around the world,” Stonebraker explains, “so the difference in prevalence – or the number of people living with the condition at any given moment – appears to be due to much higher mortality in developing countries.”

The study also showed that prevalence of hemophilia has increased over the past 30 years, as treatments for the disorder have improved. In other words, better treatment is helping those with hemophilia A live longer. For example, the United Kingdom had a prevalence of 9.3 per 100,000 in 1974, but it had risen to 21.6 per 100,000 by 2006.

In a second study, Stonebraker and his colleagues found that decreased mortality related to hemophilia A is tied to a willingness – by government health-care agencies or private insurers – to pay for treatment. Correspondingly, the consumption of factor VIII drugs has increased significantly in developed countries – and that trend appears poised to continue, with high-income countries expected to consume more and more factor VIII drugs in the future.

Stonebraker says the two studies should be incredibly helpful as budget-planning tools for insurance companies and those countries that provide national health care, as well as for pharmaceutical companies that will want to project the amount of factor VIII drugs they will need to make to meet market demand. But, Stonebraker says, “the studies also show how much more needs to be done to address hemophilia in the developing world.”

The first study, “A study of variations in the reported hemophilia A prevalence around the world,” was co-authored by Stonebraker, Paula H.B. Bolton-Maggs of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, J. Michael Soucie of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Irwin Walker of McMaster University and Mark Brooker of the World Federation of Hemophilia. The second study, “A study of reported factor VIII use around the world,” was co-authored by Stonebraker, Brooker, Robert E. Amand of the Biotherapeutic Modeling Group, Inc., Albert Farrugia of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association and Alok Srivastava of Christian Medical College. Both studies will be published in a forthcoming issue of Haemophilia.

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By using climate forecasts for short-term planning, water managers can better plan for potential shortages due to drought, says Dr. Sankar Arumugam, an assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State and lead author of the paper. For example, managers could encourage stakeholders to put water-use restrictions in place and launch a water conservation campaign before the drought even arrives. Managers could also use this approach to determine how best to take advantage of surplus water supplies. For example, hydropower facilities could  generate additional power instead of spilling the excess water. Arumugam notes that the use of forecasts for planning would also make water managers better able to account for increased water demands due to population growth.

“Our paper proposes a framework that would use forecast data to improve water management, allowing water managers to be proactive with their planning rather than reacting to events after the fact,” Arumugam says. Water managers at the federal, state and local level determine how much water can be allotted to various uses, such as hydropower, agriculture, municipal use, recreation and the protection of aquatic species.

Arumugam says advances in the understanding of how changes in ocean temperature affect the atmosphere and, ultimately,  precipitation and temperature, make seasonal or longer-term climate forecasts increasingly reliable. At the same time, Arumugam says, water management is becoming more important due to increasing global population – which means greater water demand – and global climate change, which could stress both humid and arid regions with the former getting wetter and the latter becoming drier.

The proposed framework acknowledges that climate forecasts contain an element of uncertainty, and attempts to mitigate that uncertainty by incorporating water contracts. “These contracts give end-users, such as farmers and municipalities, some idea of what they can expect – allowing them to plan accordingly based on the uncertainty in the climate forecasts,” Arumugam says, “It also offers insurance in the form of compensation if the forecast is incorrect and water managers cannot meet the terms of the contract.” Similarly, Arumugam explains, if the forecast is accurate and the terms of the contract are met, water managers will have made the most efficient use of the available water resources and will receive a performance fee from the end-users who were party to the contract.

“Although there is  uncertainty associated with forecasts, they are correct over the long term, and using this framework would result in long-term benefits for both water users and managers,” Arumugam says. For example, the researchers performed a case study looking at the state of Ceara in Brazil, which is an arid region that receives little or no rainfall from June through the following January. “We found there would be significant benefits for the region, primarily in alleviating the vulnerability of poor farming communities if this framework was implemented,” Arumugam says.

The study, “Improved Water Allocation Utilizing Probabilistic Climate Forecasts: Short Term Water Contracts in a Risk Management Framework,” was co-authored by Arumugam, Dr. Upmanu Lall of Columbia University, Dr. Francisco Assis Souza Filho of the Federal University of Fortaleza and Dr. Ashish Sharma of the University of New South Wales. The research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and published in the Nov. 11 issue of Water Resources Research.

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Note to editors: The study abstract follows.

“Improved Water Allocation Utilizing Probabilistic Climate Forecasts: Short Term Water Contracts in a Risk Management Framework”

Authors: A. Sankarasubramanian, North Carolina State University; Upmanu Lall, Columbia University; Francisco Assis Souza Filho, Federal University of Fortaleza; Ashish Sharma, University of New South Wales

Published: Nov. 11, 2009, Water Resources Research

Abstract: Probabilistic, seasonal to inter-annual streamflow forecasts are becoming increasingly available as the ability to model climate teleconnections is improving. However, water managers and practitioners have been slow to adopt such products, citing concerns with forecast skill. Essentially, a management risk is perceived in “gambling” with operations using a probabilistic forecast, while a system failure upon following existing operating policies is “protected” by the official rules or guidebook. In the presence of a prescribed system of prior allocation of releases under different storage or water availability conditions, the manager has little incentive to change. Innovation in allocation and operation is hence key to improved risk management using such forecasts. A participatory water allocation process that can effectively use probabilistic forecasts as part of an adaptive management strategy is introduced here. Users can express their demand for water through statements that cover the quantity needed at a particular reliability, the temporal distribution of the “allocation”, the associated willingness to pay, and compensation in the event of contract non-performance. The water manager then assesses feasible allocations using the probabilistic forecast that try to meet these criteria across all users. An iterative process between users and water manager could be used to formalize a set of short term contracts that represent the resulting prioritized water allocation strategy over the operating period for which the forecast was issued. These contracts can be used to allocate water each year/season beyond long term contracts that may have precedence. Thus, integrated supply and demand management can be achieved. In this paper, a single period multi-user optimization model that can support such an allocation process is presented. The application of this conceptual model is explored using data for the Jaguaribe Metropolitan Hydro System in Ceara, Brazil. The performance relative to the current allocation process is assessed in the context of whether such a model could support the proposed short term contract based participatory process. A synthetic forecasting example is also used to explore the relative roles of forecast skill and reservoir storage in this framework.

It is no surprise that the mechanical properties of silicon nanowires are different from “bulk” – or regular size – silicon materials, because as the diameter of the wires decrease, there is an increasing surface-to-volume ratio. Unfortunately, experimental results reported in the literature on the properties of silicon nanowires have reported conflicting results. So the NC State researchers set out to quantify the elastic and fracture properties of the material.

“The mainstream semiconductor industry is built on silicon,” says Dr. Yong Zhu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at NC State and lead researcher on this project. “These wires are the building blocks for future nanoelectronics.” For this study, researchers set out to determine how much abuse these silicon nanowires can take. How do they deform – meaning how much can you stretch or warp the material before it breaks? And how much force can they withstand before they fracture or crack? The researchers focused on nanowires made using the vapor-liquid-solid synthesis process, which is a common way of producing silicon nanowires.

Zhu and his team measured the nanowire properties using in-situ tensile testing inside scanning electron microscopy. A nanomanipulator was used as the actuator and a micro cantilever used as the load sensor. “Our experimental method is direct but simple,” says Qingquan Qin, a Ph.D. student at NC State and co-author of the paper. “This method offers real-time observation of nanowire deformation and fracture, while simultaneously providing quantitative stress and strain data. The method is very efficient, so a large number of specimens can be tested within a reasonable period of time.”

As it turns out, silicon nanowires deform in a very different way from bulk silicon. “Bulk silicon is very brittle and has limited deformability, meaning that it cannot be stretched or warped very much without breaking.” says Feng Xu, a Ph.D. student at NC state and co-author of the paper, “But the silicon nanowires are more resilient, and can sustain much larger deformation. Other properties of silicon nanowires include increasing fracture strength and decreasing elastic modulus as the nanowire gets smaller and smaller.”

The fact that silicon nanowires have more deformability and strength is a big deal. “These properties are essential to the design and reliability of novel silicon nanodevices,” Zhu says. “The insights gained from this study not only advance fundamental understanding about size effects on mechanical properties of nanostructures, but also give designers more options in designing nanodevices ranging from nanosensors to nanoelectronics to nanostructured solar cells.”

The study, “Mechanical Properties of Vapor-Liquid-Solid Synthesized Silicon Nanowires,” was co-authored by Zhu, Xu, Qin, University of Michigan (UM) researcher Wei Lu and UM Ph.D. student Wayne Fung. The study is published in the Nov. 11 issue of Nano Letters, and was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and NC State.

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Note to editors: The study abstract follows.

“Mechanical Properties of Vapor-Liquid-Solid Synthesized Silicon Nanowires”

Authors: Yong Zhu, Feng Xu, Qingquan Qin, North Carolina State University; Wayne F. Fung, Wei Lu, University of Michigan.

Published: November 11, 2009, Nano Letters

Abstract: The Young’s modulus and fracture strength of silicon nanowires with diameters between 15 and 60 nm and lengths between 1.5 and 4.3 micrometers were measured. The nanowires, grown by the vapor-liquid-solid process, were subjected to tensile tests in situ inside a scanning electron microscope. The Young’s modulus decreased while the fracture strength increased up to over 12 GPa, as the nanowire diameter decreased. The fracture strength also increased with the decrease of the side surface area; the increase rate for the chemically synthesized silicon nanowires was found to be much higher than that for the microfabricated silicon thin films. Repeated loading and unloading during tensile tests demonstrated that the nanowires are linear elastic until fracture without appreciable plasticity.

The event will include remarks from N.C. Rep. Grier Martin, an Iraqi war veteran, as well as NC State student veterans. Members of NC State’s ROTC program will present the colors while “Taps” is played to honor fallen soldiers.

Media coverage of the event is invited. Call 515-8387 for parking information.

The event is sponsored by NC State’s Student Veterans Association and the Union Activities Board.

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“Some companies commit financial statement fraud, and a good portion of those overstate their revenue,” says Dr. Joe Brazel, an assistant professor of accounting at NC State and co-author of the research. “They’re able to do that because they can manipulate the accounting. But there are NFMs that can’t be manipulated as easily.” These NFMs include the number of employees, as well as industry-specific measures, such as the square footage of facilities in the manufacturing sector, the number of retail outlets in the retail sector or the number of hospital visits in the hospital industry.

Brazel explains that companies may fraudulently claim inflated revenues in order to meet market expectations and maintain, or improve, their stock price – as well as protecting company management from criticism.

But, Brazel says, “when these firms commit fraud, we found a huge gap between their reported revenue growth and related NFMs – their revenue was up, but the NFMs were either flat or declining. And when you looked at their competitors, you see revenue growth and NFMs closely correlated. So when you see that gap, it’s a red flag – you need to take a closer look.”

For example, Brazel says that researchers found a difference of approximately 4 percent between revenue growth and employee growth in companies that did not commit fraud. The difference between revenue growth and employee growth in fraudulent companies was 20 percent. “It’s pretty obvious, when you look at it,” Brazel says.

Furthermore, the NFM data are easy to find. Brazel explains that each company’s NFMs and revenue numbers are disclosed in the same financial filings, which the company is required to submit each year to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The researchers evaluated 220 companies when evaluating employee growth versus revenue growth  – 110 companies that were known to have committed fraud between 1994 and 2002, and 110 that had not. Similarly, they looked at 100 companies when evaluating other NFMs, 50 fraudulent and 50 that had not committed fraud.

The researchers are now in the process of developing an online tool that will perform the NFM analysis, as well as conducting experimental studies with auditors to help detect fraud and with investors to help make wise investment decisions.

The paper, “Using Nonfinancial Measures to Assess Fraud Risk,” was co-authored by Brazel, Dr. Keith Jones of George Mason University and Dr. Mark Zimbelman of Brigham Young University. The work was funded by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation, and will be published in the Journal of Accounting Research later this year.

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Note to Editors: The research abstract follows.

“Using Nonfinancial Measures to Assess Fraud Risk”

Authors: Joseph F. Brazel, North Carolina State University; Keith L. Jones, George Mason University; Mark F. Zimbelman, Brigham Young University

Published: Winter 2009, Journal of Accounting Research

Abstract: This study examines whether auditors can effectively use nonfinancial measures (NFMs) to assess the reasonableness of financial performance and, thereby, help detect financial statement fraud (hereafter, fraud). If auditors or other interested parties (e.g., directors, lenders, investors, or regulators) can identify NFMs (e.g., facilities growth) that are correlated with financial measures (e.g., revenue growth), inconsistent patterns between the NFMs and financial measures can be used to detect firms with high fraud risk. We find that the difference between financial and nonfinancial performance is significantly greater for firms that committed fraud than for their nonfraud competitors. We also find that this difference is a significant fraud indicator when included in a model containing variables that have previously been linked to the likelihood of fraud. Overall, our results provide empirical evidence suggesting that NFMs can be effectively used to assess the likelihood of fraud.

The event will include comments from Hendley, Chancellor James Woodward and Thomas Crowder, a member of Raleigh City Council.

Media coverage of the rally is invited. Call News Services at 515-8387 for information on parking near the Brickyard.

CNN Heroes are cited as “ordinary people having extraordinary impact.” Hendley is founder and executive director of “Wine to Water,” an international faith-based organization that installs running water and sanitation systems in the neediest parts of the world. Online voting for the Hero of the Year award runs through Nov. 19 on CNN’s Web site.

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