Sunday, January 13, 2013

George P. Bush weighing run in Texas- Jacksons wife quits post cites family health issues

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Source: http://www.texasguardian.com/index.php/sid/211901771/scat/42acbe017a594c30

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?60 Minutes Sports? Lara Logan On Surviving Brutal Attack In Egypt: TCA

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline?s TCA coverage.

60 Minutes SportsLara Logan, who was hired fulltime as a 60 Minutes correspondent last September and appeared this afternoon on a panel promoting Showtime?s new series spinoff 60 Minutes Sports ? on which she serves as a correspondent ? grew emotional while speaking after session. She was asked about any lingering emotional scars stemming from the frightening and nearly-fatal February 11, 2011 attack she suffered in Egypt?s Tahrir Square, during which she was groped, assaulted, beaten and had her clothes entirely ripped from her body. The attack continued for some 25 minutes and involved an estimated 200-300 men. When Deadline asked if the emotional trauma remained with her, she replied, ?I think anything that happens to you on this scale stays with you forever.? Logan continued, ?Am I traumatized? Do I have bad dreams? No. And after it happened, when I got back from Egypt, I was honestly almost elated because I was so close to death and coming to terms with being gone.? The gravity of that event contrasted today with Logan?s vibrant, vivacious demeanor and striking appearance, which belied feelings that seem to reside just below the surface, ?I was dying in that square,? she recalled, ?and I never thought I would see my children again. After I got home, for weeks I couldn?t believe I was alive.??

Related: It?s Official: Showtime Lands Horror Drama From ?Skyfall?s John Logan & Sam Mendes

That she was able to muster the character, strength and survival skills to get through such an unfathomable physical and psychological ordeal seems still to surprise Logan. ?You don?t realize until it happens to you 60 Minutes Sportsthat you have a choice not to fall apart,? she said. ?I said, I have too much to live for.? Logan?s strength led her to approve a statement shortly after the attack that detailed how she was beaten and sexually assaulted and didn?t try to sweep the details under the carpet. She credited CBS News and president Jeff Fager for having the courage at the time ?to decide not to lie about this. We weren?t going to lie about this.? She related the rewards of hearing from ?probably 50,000? men and women who have detailed similar stories and how they have had to live with a terrible secret and dark shame. ?It happens to men as well as women,? she said, her eyes starting to well up at the memories. ?I have the benefit of having had a very strong upbringing and a very strong mother.?

Logan was asked how she is still able to muster the courage to cover dangerous stories. It spurred an unusually candid response. ?I honestly don?t think I could do it without Valium and red wine, I swear to God,? she admitted. ?I just tank up the day before and I?m out the door. I couldn?t do it otherwise. I know it sounds weak. It?s the hardest thing, but I do it for reasons I truly believe in.?

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Source: http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/60-minutes-sports-lara-logan-on-surviving-brutal-attack-in-egypt-tca/

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Walmart Will Send Representatives To White House To Talk Gun ...

Acknowledging that it underestimated the Obama administration's expectations about its involvement in gun control talks, Walmart said Wednesday company representatives would attend a meeting at The White House on Thursday to discuss firearms.

Walmart initially declined to have a representative attend the White House meeting, citing scheduling conflicts in a statement given to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

"Knowing our senior leaders could not be in Washington this week, we spoke in advance with the Vice President?s office to share our perspective. We underestimated the expectation to attend the meeting on Thursday in person, so we are sending an appropriate representative to participate," Walmart spokesman David Tovar said in a statement released late Wednesday morning. When asked for comment by The Huffington Post, a spokesman referred to the press release and didn't respond to further questions.

Walmart, the nation's largest gun retailer, also for the first time acknowledged publicly that it has been engaged in "ongoing conversations" with the White House and Congress after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December.

The White House task force, headed by Vice President Joe Biden, is charged with coming up with new proposals to regulate guns and will also include representatives from the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation in its meetings on Thursday.

Walmart currently sells firearms in more than 1,750, or roughly half, of its U.S. stores, though in recent years the company has seemed to waver on its commitment to selling guns. In 2011, five years after restricting gun sales to only a third of its stores, the retailer reintroduced firearms to many locations, citing customer demand.

Experts told The Huffington Post this week that despite appearances, tighter regulations on guns could benefit Walmart. One key proposal Biden is expected to put forth would force independent gun sellers to go to certified dealers like Walmart to conduct background checks on customers and process their transactions. If passed, such a law could send people who previously traded guns at shows and in their homes to Walmart stores, propelling the company's already skyrocketing gun sales even higher, experts say.

Currently, federal law allows individuals to sell guns to others without performing background checks or keeping records of the sale.

?If we instituted universal background checks, that would cut down the number of kitchen-table dealers and of course benefit places like Walmart,? said Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit that lobbies for gun control. Such a policy would also make it harder for criminals to obtain guns, and thus "be part of a solution to a problem that has existed for decades," he said.

Other gun control measures likely being considered by Biden's committee would have a more certain negative impact on Walmart. Renewing the ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004, for example, would affect sales at the company, according to Rommel Dionisio, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. Dionisio estimates that Walmart, as the largest seller of firearms, is also a major seller of those tactical rifles which may soon be subject a ban.

The retail giant alone makes up 13 percent of total sales for Freedom Group, the manufacturer of the Bushmaster rifle used by the shooter in the Sandy Hook rampage, Freedom Group disclosed in a September earnings report.

But Walmart's clout in the industry is also what makes gun-control advocates so eager to get the company to join their side. "The bottom line is that Walmart is huge,? said Garen Wintemute, the director of the Violence Prevention research program at the University of California at Davis and a practicing emergency medicine physician. ?It would be a very promising development if they would step up and do the right thing."

Advocates hope the company will consider the good PR it could gain by supporting the White House's initiatives. ?I would think for Walmart it would be good policy and good business,? said Sugarmann. ?I?ll add that if they?re going to choose to be a good public citizen, they should make it a policy not to sell assault weapons.?

It wouldn't be the first time Walmart's come down on the side of gun control. The company attracted the ire of pro-gun groups in 2008 when it partnered with Mayors against Illegal Guns to tighten gun sales restrictions. At the time, the NRA denounced the company's actions as ?a public relations stunt? designed to ?curry favor with politicians.?

If implemented, universal background checks would likely function as they do in California, where private sales of guns have been regulated for over 20 years, according to Phil Cook, a professor of economics and public policy at Duke University. In that state, almost all gun sales are required to be processed through certified dealers.

For some gun stores in the state, the background checks are a way to solicit new business from customers who end up buying ammunition and accessories, according to Charles Huntington, the owner of Huntington's Sportman's Store in Oroville, Calif. Still, Huntington says it's difficult for most stores to turn a profit from the time-consuming service, whose fees are capped at $10 per gun by law.

"I would be amazed if Walmart supported a national registration system," said Huntington. "It's too much of a hassle and there's no profit in it."

Yet Walmart, which does not currently sell firearms in California, would also be more equipped than smaller retailers to streamline and perhaps even monetize background checks. In the 2008 partnership with Mayors against Illegal Guns, the company agreed to a slew of new rules that went beyond the requirements of the law: videotaping transactions, implementing a computerized system that logs purchasers' crime histories and performing background checks on employees.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/walmart-gun-control_n_2435232.html

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Learn How Commercial Real Estate Can Make Money ... - Maynas Eric

Commercial real estate can be a hard field that requires an enormous time investment. The potential profit is worth the hard work. By carefully applying the advice in this article, it will help you to succeed.

Pest control is an important issue to look at when you rent or lease. You should make inquiries regarding pest control procedures, particularly if you plan to lease somewhere that is known for insect or rodent infestations.

If you are taking out a commercial loan, you must pay for the appraisal yourself. The bank won?t let you use one not ordered by you. Therefore, to protect yourself and keep your commercial loan on track, order the appraisal yourself.

TIP! It is important to know how to deal with emergency maintenance. Speak with the landlord about handling of emergency repairs just so you know who to call in that situation.

Commercial Properties

Keep your rental commercial properties occupied. Empty commercial properties mean a building that you are having to maintain without any income being received. If you have more than one empty property, think about why that may be, and consider what you may be doing to drive tenants away.

Use a digital camera to document the conditions. Your pictures should portray any damage or defect in the property. Common things you should look for include any cracks or holes in walls, and damages to the carpeting.

TIP! Changing interest rates are a big threat to people who invest in commercial real estate. The economic conditions today makes interest rates go up and down unpredictably, which leaves investors vulnerable to potential spikes in interest rates.

Inspectors should always have credentials available for viewing, should you require their services in your real estate dealings. This is true when working with pest or insect removal, since many people who are non-accredited work in these fields. This will avoid bigger problems in the post-sale.

If you are trying to get financing approved for your commercial investment, you will need financial statements showing the net income of our business. The bank won?t be able to help you at all if you can?t prove to them that you have the means to cover any loans you get to buy commercial real estate.

A good starting point for people looking to purchase real estate is to go online and scour the treasure trove of beneficial information that can help new investors, as well as seasoned professionals. It?s not possible to be too knowledgeable, so keep researching new investing strategies.

TIP! In a new lease, you need to be aware of how the rent price will affect your investment. Don?t enter into discussion with a possible renter without knowing your rental rate.

Square Footage

Be clear about the square footage available. There are two ways to measure commercial real estate, by total square feet and usable square feet. Usable square feet is the space where actual business is conducted, while total square feet incorporates everything, including walls and unusable space. Therefore, it is very important to know both types of square footage.

If you are new to commercial real estate investing, it would be wise to focus on just one building at a time. Find one property type to focus on and devote your undivided attention to it. It is far better to dominate one area of the commercial real estate market than to spread your investing order many different types of commercial buildings.

TIP! Different commercial brokers represent different parties. For example, some brokers represent landlords as well as tenants, while others only work with tenants.

Establish an online presence before jumping into the market. Completing a profile on LinkedIn is an excellent starting point, or you might start a blog. You should also utilize search engine optimization techniques to boost the search rank of your website. You want people to find you by just typing your name into the search bar.

When drawing up a letter of intent, try to solicit agreement on big issues first and leave smaller issues for later rounds of negotiations. It will be less stressful to negotiate and can also make it easier to come to terms on the smaller things as well.

Be sure to negotiate on the fact of what you are, the seller or buyer. Be certain your needs are met, your concerns are heard, and you champion a fair, honest price for the real estate.

TIP! If you desire commercial property for rental purposes, locate buildings that are simply yet solidly constructed. Tenants will be attracted to these spots because they are maintained well.

Look for an agency that keeps your best interest in mind. If you end up with a bad real estate company, you may pay more for the property than what it is worth.

Investing in commercial real estate can be a good way to become rich. The suggestions presented in this article should help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls, and move forward toward success.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/learn-how-commercial-real-estate-can-make-money-for-you-3

Colorado Shooting News

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Sources: Obama to nominate Hagel as Pentagon chief

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2007, file photo, then-Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks during an appearance at Bellevue University, in Bellevue, Neb. President Barack Obama will nominate Hagel as his next defense secretary, a senior administration official said Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013. The selection of the decorated Vietnam combat veteran sets up a potentially contentious confirmation hearing because Hagel has come under scrutiny from his former colleagues over his positions on Israel and Iran. Some Republicans already have declared their public opposition to Hagel replacing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta in Obama's second-term Cabinet. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2007, file photo, then-Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks during an appearance at Bellevue University, in Bellevue, Neb. President Barack Obama will nominate Hagel as his next defense secretary, a senior administration official said Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013. The selection of the decorated Vietnam combat veteran sets up a potentially contentious confirmation hearing because Hagel has come under scrutiny from his former colleagues over his positions on Israel and Iran. Some Republicans already have declared their public opposition to Hagel replacing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta in Obama's second-term Cabinet. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary, a senior administration official said Sunday, choosing a former Senate colleague and a decorated Vietnam veteran and signaling he's ready for a contentious confirmation fight likely dominated by questions about Hagel's stands on Israel and Iran.

Obama, who avoided a Capitol Hill battle by deciding not to nominate U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as his first choice for secretary of state, went ahead with Hagel, 66, even as leading Republicans announced their opposition ? though they stopped short of saying they might try to block Hagel.

Seeking to soften the ground, the White House was alerting Senate Democrats that Hagel's selection as the successor to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Obama's second-term Cabinet was imminent, according to a congressional official.

Obama, who returned to Washington on Sunday from his Hawaiian vacation, was expected to nominate Hagel on Monday. Congress is on break this coming week.

The officials requested anonymity in order to discuss Hagel's nomination ahead of Obama.

Hagel, a moderate Republican, built a strong relationship with Obama during their travel as senators. But the former Nebraska lawmaker has faced withering criticism from Congress since emerging as the front-runner for the Pentagon post.

Hagel is the second straight Obama favorite for a top national security post to face criticism from Capitol Hill even before being nominated. Rice withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of state amid charges from GOP senators that she misled the public in her initial accounting of the attacks on Americans at a diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya.

After Rice withdrew, Obama named Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, to lead the State Department. Kerry is expected to be easily confirmed by his longtime Senate colleagues.

If confirmed, Hagel would take over a Pentagon that faces budget cuts and a scaling back of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to meet with Obama in Washington this week to discuss the U.S. presence in Afghanistan after the war formally concludes at the end of 2014.

Hagel is likely to support a more rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the top Senate Republican, said earlier Sunday that he was reserving judgment on whether to support Hagel. But he predicted the former Nebraska senator would face serious questions about his stands on Iran and Israel.

Any nominee must have "a full understanding of our close relationship with out Israeli allies, the Iranian threat and the importance of having a robust military," McConnell said on ABC's "This Week."

Hagel has criticized discussion of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran. He also has backed efforts to bring Iran to the table for talks on future peace in Afghanistan. Some lawmakers have been troubled by his comments and actions on Israel, including his reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States.

"This is a controversial pick," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told CNN. "He is an antagonistic figure when it comes to the state of Israel. It's a signal you're sending to Iran at the worst possible time and to our allies."

McConnell, R-Ky., said Hagel, who left the Senate in 2009, has "certainly been outspoken in foreign policy and defense over the years. The question we will be answering, if he's the nominee, is do his views make sense for that particular job?"

McConnell said he would "wait and see how the hearings go and see whether Chuck's views square with the job he would be nominated to do." He added, "I'm going to take a look at all the things that Chuck has said over the years and review that, and in terms of his qualifications to lead our nation's military."

The second-ranking Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, said in a statement that making Hagel defense secretary would be "the worst possible message we could send to our friend Israel and the rest of our allies in the Middle East." Cornyn did not say he would try to block a Hagel nomination.

Obama, in an interview that aired last week on NBC's "Meet the Press," called Hagel "a patriot" who "has done extraordinary work" in the Senate and on an intelligence advisory board.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union" that Hagel "is a serious candidate if the president chooses to name him."

___

Associated Press writers Jack Gillum and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-06-Defense-Hagel/id-bc2e75a913014d7c868de168cc0d4487

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One on One Partner(s) Requested

Hello.

I'm completely and utterly bored. No one really posting anything of my character's interests in any roleplays I'm involved with at the moment. You've been there, yeah? So, I'm just looking for some people willing to post quite a lot, keep the story interesting, etc.

A few things you should know about me personally:

I am in love with Asian cultures, and that gets transferred to my characters sometimes.
I love romance. <3
I play female only. I don't mind femalexmale or femalexfemale.
I'm open to just about anything. I just don't want things progressing too quickly.

Any ideas? Post them here or PM me~ I'll be here half the night.

-Shala

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/k66P4n1r2gY/viewtopic.php

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Motherhood Moment: Healthy Habits: Easy Family Changes for the ...

Brett Hoebel is a fitness expert and was a trainer on the U.S. television show the Biggest Loser season 11. After his role on Biggest Loser, he was subsequently chosen to be one of the health experts on the Food Network TV show Fat Chef, which follows overweight chefs in their struggles to lose weight over a four-month period.


His passion, knowledge and creativity can be seen in the lifestyle-fitness programs he?s created including RevAbs?, a revolutionary in-home DVD workout program and reVamp?, his signature personal training system.

?I had the chance to interview him about changes you and your family can make in the new year that aren't too hard to do and can have a big impact on health.

For more information, you can visit TipsonTV or JuicyJuice, where you'll find a variety of articles tailored to specific developmental stages, healthy recipes, tools, activities, and more.

Source: http://motherhood-moment.blogspot.com/2013/01/healthy-habits-easy-family-changes-for.html

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Long-sought structure of protein necessary for cell-to-cell interaction described

Jan. 6, 2013 ? Scientists know that cells in all higher organisms need to bind to each other for the development, architecture, maintenance and function of tissues. Mysteries have remained, however, about exactly how cells manage this feat.

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have now solved part of this puzzle by defining the structure of a protein known as ?-catenin, which is essential to this process.

The work was published online ahead of print on January 6, 2012, by the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Chain, Chain, Chain

Our cells bind to each other using specialized cell surface adhesion complexes called adherens junctions, which direct the formation of tight, Velcro-like contacts among cells.

Adherens junctions are made up of three types of proteins -- cadherin, ?-catenin and ?-catenin. First, cadherin receptors, which span the cell membrane, direct the binding of cells to each other using domains that project outside the cell. Second, their tail domains, found on the inside of the cell, bind to the protein ?-catenin, which, in turn, is bound to ?-catenin.

The term catenin is derived from the Latin word for chain, catena, and these three proteins literally make a chain. This complex is then stabilized when the end of the chain, ?-catenin, attaches to the molecular framework of the cell, the cytoskeleton. Without this, link cells would simply be amorphous piles of goo. Furthermore, alterations of cadherins, ?-catenin and/or ?-catenin can lead to marked changes in cell signaling, growth and migration -- which can result in abnormalities and cancer.

Confronting a Paradox

Exactly how ?-catenin provides links to the cytoskeleton and to the cadherin-?-catenin complex, however, has long puzzled scientists.

Scientists have known that ?-catenin forms links to the cytoskeleton by binding to a protein called F-actin (the "F" stands for filament), which is found in species ranging from yeast to humans. The paradox for scientists has been that, despite being able to bind to F-actin on its own, when bound to ?-catenin ?-catenin cannot bind to F-actin. That is, the binding of ?-catenin to F-actin and to ?-catenin are, in the test tube, mutually exclusive. So how does ?-catenin bind to F-actin versus ?-catenin and how is the final link in the chain stabilized in cells?

To resolve this paradox, the scientists crystallized and determined the structure of a nearly full-length human ?-catenin. This structure showed why ?-catenin cannot simultaneously bind to F-actin and ?-catenin. Specifically, in its unbound state, ?-catenin was shown to be an asymmetric dimer, where the two subunits have remarkable differences in their architecture that appear to together create the binding site for F-actin. Binding of ?-catenin to ?-catenin disrupts the interaction of its two subunits, changing its architecture and displacing F-actin.

The second part of the puzzle -- how cadherin-?-catenin and ?-catenin-F-actin complexes are linked together in cells -- was resolved when the scientists realized that another cytoskeleton protein called vinculin, which can also bind to F-actin, plays a critical role in this process. The scientists established the structures of dimeric ?-catenin alone and when in complex with pre-activated vinculin. The results showed that vinculin binding did not disrupt the ?-catenin dimer and that both partners of the vinculin-?-catenin complex were in fact capable of binding to F-actin, a scenario that stabilizes adhesion complexes.

The study, "Dimer Asymmetry Defines ?-catenin Interactions" (doi 10.1038/nsmb.2479) was authored by Staff Scientist Erumbi S. Rangarajan and Associate Professor T. Izard of TSRI.

The laboratory is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (GM071596 and GM094483) and by the State of Florida.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Scripps Research Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Erumbi S Rangarajan, Tina Izard. Dimer asymmetry defines ?-catenin interactions. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2479

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/OCoZcmX-zTc/130106145652.htm

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North Korea trip by Richardson, Schmidt set for next week

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will lead a private humanitarian mission to North Korea next week, Richardson's office confirmed in a statement Saturday.

Richardson will hold a press conference at the Beijing airport next Thursday, but no media will be accompanying the delegation, according to the statement.

The trip comes despite public criticism from the U.S. State Department, which has said the visit was ill-timed in light of tensions stemming from North Korea's recent rocket launch.

The delegation will also include Jared Cohen, the director of a Google initiative known as Google Ideas and Schmidt's co-author on an upcoming book about how the Internet is changing the world.

Last July, Cohen organized a conference outside Los Angeles that featured nearly a dozen North Korean defectors, who gave harrowing accounts of privation and coerced criminal activity including drug sales.

Schmidt spoke at the conference and met with the group, according to panel moderator and North Korea expert Sheena Chestnut Greitens, now a graduate student at Harvard University.

K.A. Namkung, an Asia specialist and adviser to Richardson, will also take part in the trip, along with some other staff, according to the statement. A spokesperson for Richardson did not elaborate beyond the brief statement.

Richardson, a former ambassador to the United Nations, has made numerous trips to North Korea. The purpose of next week's trip and the reasons for Schmidt's involvement are not clear, though Google characterized it as "personal" travel. Schmidt did not respond to requests for comment.

Many observers expect Richardson to seek the release of Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American tour guide who was detained last year.

(Reporting by Jonathan Weber and Joseph Menn; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-trip-richardson-schmidt-set-next-week-000556599.html

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