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The Beginnings of Humankind” To Be Available in Audio Format


Lucy Skeleton

“We cannot fully grasp who we are and where we are headed as a species until we have a more complete knowledge of our evolutionary roots.” – Donald C. Johanson, Paleoanthropologist

To mark the 45th year anniversary of the discovery of the most famous hominid fossil in the world, “Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind” is being released as an audiobook narrated by the author and her discoverer, Dr. Donald Johanson.

One of the most accomplished scholars of human origins, Johanson has produced some of the field’s most groundbreaking discoveries, including the most widely known and thoroughly studied fossil of the 20th century, the 3.2-million-year-old “Lucy” skeleton.

The 20th century was peppered with important early-human fossil finds, but Johanson’s 1974 discovery in Ethiopia that added a crucial link, prompting major revisions in our understanding of human evolution. “Lucy” possesses an intriguing mixture of ape-like features ( a projecting face and small brain) but also characteristics we consider human, such as upright walking, marking an important step on the path to Homo sapiens.

In the early 1970s the remote region of Ethiopia known as the Afar Triangle was terra incognita and its potential for illuminating our evolutionary past was unrecognized. In spite of the desolate and hostile nature of the area Johanson, with meager funding led an expedition to a site known as Hadar and began to unearth a treasure trove of fossils, including Lucy, that walked the planet some 3 to 4 million years ago. So revolutionary were these discoveries that the entire story of how we became human required substantial revision. Now some 45 years later we know more details of the vital picture of how humans came to be, but the general outlines of the human family tree proposed by Johanson’s early work continue to form the core of that story.

Johanson is committed to sharing and explaining his scientific discoveries to the general public. His efforts in this have reached across multiple media—including television, books, and his award-winning science website http://www.becominghuman.org, in addition to lecturing at universities, corporations, and public forums. Johanson is the founding director of the internationally respected Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and is available for interview.

The audiobook is published through Blackstone Publishing, one of the largest independent audiobook publishers in the U.S., and can be purchased at Audible.

Learn More About Johanson:


  • He is an honorary board member of the Explorers Club, and was awarded their highest honor, the Explorers Club Medal in 2010.
  • He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
  • He is a distinguished member of the Siena Academy of Sciences in Italy.
  • He is the recipient of the American Book Award in Science 1981: Johanson, D.C. and M. A. Edey. 1981. Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind. New York: Simon and Schuster
  • He received a Webby Award in 2002 for best science web site: http://www.becominghuman.org
  • Johanson also serves as the Virginia M. Ullman Chair in Human Origins at Arizona State University, where he teaches
  • Johanson frequently lectures and leads tours for the National Geographic Society.

Co-author of 9 books his most recent books are:

Johanson, D.C. and Kate Wong. March 2009. Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins. New York: Harmony Press.

Johanson, D.C. and B. Edgar. 2006. From Lucy to Language. New York: Simon and Schuster; 2nd Edition.

Some web sites:

TIME Interview

Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins

Donald Johanson 1991 Academy of Achievement Award

“We cannot fully grasp who we are and where we are headed as a species until we have a more complete knowledge of our evolutionary roots.” – Donald C. Johanson – paleoanthropologist

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Research on Alzheimer’s Disease is Highlighted on “Behind The Scenes” with Laurence Fishburne


…medical researchers worldwide are collaborating in hope of discovering a greater understanding of Alzheimer’s in order to ultimately find a remedy or preventive measure for the illness conduct an extensive level of scientific inquiry.

“The Matrix”, “Deep Cover”, and “John Wick” series star Laurence Fishburne is the host of the educational television program “Behind The Scenes”. This informational program seeks to inform its public audience about a myriad of topics affecting people all over the world today. In an impending episode of “Behind The Scenes,” the show will explore a topic within the world of medical research. The episode will highlight medical professionals as they delve into the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

This specific episode will explore the medical developments in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research and will discuss the impact of the ailment on those suffering with it. Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating form of dementia affecting thousands of Americans every day. On average, an individual diagnosed with the affliction has a life span of four to eight years after they are given their prognosis. Affecting memory loss and multiple cognitive abilities, the disease takes a heavy toll on performing daily tasks and quality of life.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top contributors of death in the United States today. Currently the condition has no cure. However, medical researchers worldwide are collaborating in hope of discovering a greater understanding of Alzheimer’s in order to ultimately find a remedy or preventive measure for the illness conduct an extensive level of scientific inquiry. The segment will feature leaders in the field to discuss these developments.

“Behind The Scenes” with Laurence Fishburne is a carefully reviewed television program prior to being broadcast to a larger viewing audience. The show has received a multitude of awards in recognition of its work.

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Uniform Advantage Donates $20,000 to Living Beyond Breast Cancer for Breast Cancer Programs


UA has a proud history of giving back to several charitable organizations focused on cancer prevention and education

Uniform Advantage (UA), a leader in the apparel industry partnered with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) throughout the month of October to raise funds for Breast Cancer programs and services.

Uniform Advantage pledged to donate $5 to the Living Beyond Breast Cancer organization for every unique use of #UAScrubsforLBBC in conjunction with tagging @uniformadvantage across Facebook and Instagram. In addition, employees of Uniform Advantage participated in internal fundraising activities and received contributions from friends and family through LBBC’s online fundraising platform.

“UA has a proud history of giving back to several charitable organizations focused on cancer prevention and education, namely Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” stated Susan Masimore, CEO of Uniform Advantage. “We hope that this brings each organization one step closer to tackling this disease.”

Living Beyond Breast Cancer provides trusted information and a community of support for women diagnosed with breast cancer and for those who care about them.

UA has donated more than $34,000 to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, in addition to donating more than $50,000 to ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. To find out more about the history and mission of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, please visit LBBC.ORG.

For more information on Uniform Advantage’s action to help and support breast cancer awareness visit our UA Gives Back page.

About Uniform Advantage                                     

Uniform Advantage has represented style, quality and, above all, customer satisfaction for more than 30 years. As the first division of UA Brands, the chain was launched with a single South Florida store in 1985. Today, the company operates 29 retail locations in key markets across the U.S.; e-commerce and print catalog divisions; plus designs and manufactures its own proprietary healthcare apparel lines. The company’s corporate office is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a distribution center near Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://www.UniformAdvantage.com or by calling 800-283-8708.

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Solvang Life Insurance Agent, Rick Torres, Reports The Top Reasons To Review Insurance Policies


life insurance Solvang

Life changes and that means life insurance policies need to change as well.

There is more to life insurance than simply purchasing a policy and filing it away in a safe place. Rick Torres, a life insurance agent from Solvang, CA believes that periodic reviews of life insurance policies are important for a number of reasons.

Life changes and that means life insurance policies need to change as well. Events like marriage (or divorce) and a new baby mean dependents change or that it’s time for a life insurance policy for the new baby. A new job or promotion and raise at work might mean it’s time to increase the policy’s value. Even buying a new and more expensive home can mean it is time to review life insurance to make sure your family’s lifestyle is protected. It’s a good idea to meet with your insurance agent to review a life insurance policy at least once a year and definitely any time there is a change.

It is also important to review the life insurance policies of marriage or domestic partners. Changes to the income or life status of each partner impact the future of the entire family.

Here are the top reasons to review a life insurance policy:


  • Income changes: Getting a new job, even losing a job for any reason is the time to evaluate a life insurance policy. An increase in income usually means lifestyle changes. Increasing life insurance coverage helps guarantee that beneficiaries can maintain a good lifestyle when you are no longer around to provide for them. Starting or selling a business is time for a review and so is retirement.
  • Health changes: Improvements in personal health, such as losing weight, reducing blood pressure and increasing heart health may reduce life insurance rates. Changes in the health of a beneficiary might mean it is time to consider increasing your life insurance coverage to help ensure they are able to pay medical costs if you are no longer around. Consider making provisions for the care of aging parents if you unexpectedly pass away before they do.
  • Changes in family status: Marriage, divorce, domestic partnerships, a new baby, an adoption or any other change to family status means it is time to review life insurance policies. In the case of family status, it’s important to review all of the life insurance policies including wife, husband and children to make sure all coverage is adequate for the future of the beneficiaries.
  • Upsizing, downsizing or paying off a home: Buying a new, larger home, paying off the mortgage, or retiring to a smaller home might mean it’s time to change a life insurance policy.
  • Beneficiaries have changed: An ex-wife or husband benefiting from the death of a former partner is not just fodder for a movie script, it actually happens. It’s important that life insurance beneficiaries be kept current as life changes, but this doesn’t necessarily mean removing an ex or adding a child. The desire to provide for aging parents, or a favorite niece or nephew, even grandchildren, are good reasons to review the life insurance policy to be sure it is adequate for the needs of new beneficiaries.

Call the experts

Rick Torres is a Solvang life insurance agent with State Farm that helps his clients manage the risks of everyday life. His priority is to take care of the important things in his clients’ lives in a friendly, caring and professional way. He offers a holistic, comprehensive approach to protecting his clients and helping them to fulfill their financial plans. Torres provides auto, home, and life insurance, retirement and college planning, and business and health insurance. Office hours are Monday- Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Saturday by appointment.

RW Torres Insurance Agency, Inc.

540 Alisal Road, Suite 4

Solvang, CA 93463-2637

(805) 688-5418

This press release is by San Luis Obispo advertising company Access Publishing, 806 9th Street, #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446, (805) 226-9890.

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VantagePoint Deepens its Executive Strength with the Addition of Marketing & Sales Consulting Leader


VantagePoint Performance, the only research-led agile sales coaching, consulting and training company in the world, announced today a recent addition to the company’s executive team to meet the increasing demand for agile sales and manager training.

Scott Weinhold, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in organizations such as Kronos and Corporate Visions, joins VantagePoint as EVP, Strategy and Innovation. Mr. Weinhold’s areas of expertise include Sales Messaging, Marketing and Sales Alignment, Sales Training and Sales Enablement.

“Scott is a proven innovator and disruptor. He brings world-class experience to an already great team and will have an immediate and profound impact on VantagePoint’s customers,” said Joe Terry, CEO of VantagePoint. “He shares our conviction to improve the buyer experience through serving our customers with world-class agile sales and coaching solutions. Scott is here to help accelerate VantagePoint’s transformation into the preeminent buyer experience company in the industry.”

“The greatest brands are those that find a way to deliver an exceptional buyer experience—above and beyond great product,” said Mr. Weinhold. “By working with the world’s best brands to identify their unique selling situations and training their reps to identify how to recognize them, VantagePoint is poised to transform the sales industry.”

Prior to joining VantagePoint, Scott helped enterprise marketing and sales organizations position their unique value to win sales. A veteran sales leader turned consultant, he has led strategic messaging, training, enablement and positioning initiatives for leading companies in almost every B2B industry, including 4 of the 5 largest software companies in the world—guiding sales organizations to build and deliver messages and skills that cut through the market noise, build pipeline and win more deals.

About VantagePoint Performance

VantagePoint is the only agile sales performance company delivering diagnostic-based training and consulting solutions—all grounded in the latest academic-led, agile sales research. The VantagePoint proprietary Agile Sales & Coaching Platform includes an agile diagnostic that identifies the behaviors and unique situations your sales managers and salespeople face in the customer’s journey. Leveraging your company data, you will know the behaviors and strategies your high-performing managers and sellers use to win in each specific selling situation. With VantagePoint, you will equip all your managers and sellers to be situationally fluent, to execute each unique interaction in the buyer’s journey like your top-performers. Our mission is your performance; we are VantagePoint Performance and we are agile to the core!

To learn more visit http://www.vantagepointperformance.com

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Meridiem Offering Opportunity to Become NSight Success Certified Coach


Meridiem

NSight Success certification is an opportunity for coaches to add a powerful, evidence-based assessment tool to their service offerings. It helps coaches develop a deeper and more meaningful connection with their clients, which helps them sustain and grow their coaching businesses.

Meridiem is offering an opportunity for 50 coaches to become certified to administer the NSight Success Assessment. NSight Success is an extensively validated, business-oriented assessment instrument that measures work-related and interpersonal characteristics. It targets both aptitude and personality success factors including verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, vocabulary, scanning accuracy, decision-making style, drives, stressors, communication style, leadership style, commitment, and reliability.

The certification is designed for coaches, consultants, and talent managers who use or want to use personality or aptitude assessments as part of their service offerings. It is geared particularly for coaches offering executive coaching, life coaching, talent selection, organizational development, team building, conflict resolution, and succession planning.

According to Mr. Delmar Davis, President and Co-Founder at Meridiem, “NSight Success certification is an opportunity for coaches to add a powerful, evidence-based assessment tool to their service offerings. It helps coaches develop a deeper and more meaningful connection with their clients, which helps them sustain and grow their coaching businesses.”

NSight certification classes begin on December 2, 2019. Registration deadline is November 29, 2019, and class size will be restricted to the first 50 enrollees. The classes are 100% online, fully self-paced, but with 12 weeks of structured learning support. Interested coaches can visit Meridiem’s website at http://www.NSightCertify.com.

Meridiem’s CEO and Co-Founder Mr. Michael Sheehan added, “I personally used the NSight for more than a decade when I was a president of a major steel distributor. I used it for hiring and development for all positions, from entry level to executive. It was key for us to get the right people on the board that fit the culture of our company. I believe so much in the assessment that when I had the opportunity, I formed a company, and bought it.”

About Meridiem

Meridiem provides assessments, services, and online tools for coaches, consultants, and HR professionals who support their clients in achieving professional success, organizational wellness, and personal fulfillment. In addition to exclusively publishing the NSight Success assessment, Meridiem is acquiring and developing a library of other evidence-based tools for enabling organizational excellence and personal growth.

The company is based in Cincinnati, Ohio and was co-founded by Mr. Michael Sheehan and Mr. Delmar Davis. Dr. Mark S. Nagy joined the company as a principal partner and Chief Research Officer.

Mr. Sheehan is a business development and entrepreneurism consultant who worked his way up from an entry-level position in a regional steel business to become President and co-owner of the company, eventually scaling and selling it to a multi-national corporation while maintaining the essence of the culture that created its success. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Street Savvy Entrepreneur.

Mr. Davis brings years of experience in operational leadership and talent management for major divisions of two Fortune 500 companies. He subsequently left the corporate world to establish a private practice as a life coach, wellness consultant, fitness trainer, and digital publisher. He is the founder of Easing In Fitness and author of Exercise Planning for Busy People.

Dr. Mark S. Nagy is the director of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology master’s program at Xavier University. His areas of research and expertise include assessment development and validation, job satisfaction theory and measurement, workplace civility, and performance appraisal and evaluation. His research has been widely published in professional journals and presented at conferences.

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Yamaha PSS-A50 Is an Ultra-Compact Producer’s Powerhouse


Yamaha PSS-A50 Keyboard

Yamaha PSS-A50 Keyboard

“This much music production capability in a keyboard this tiny and affordable is unprecedented,” said Ben Harrison, marketing manager, Digital Piano and Portable Keyboard, Yamaha Corporation of America.

Yamaha debuts the PSS-A50 portable keyboard, a physically petite but musically mighty inspiration machine for modern production on the go. Whatever the style of music, its high-quality Voices and sophisticated arpeggiator turn ideas into tunes in record time — and it all comes at an unbelievably affordable price.

The PSS-A50 features 40 instrument Voices plus two drum kits, all with sound quality more like that of a professional Yamaha synth than anything else, with Pianos, synths, basses, strings, and more all sounding like today’s hits.

The experience of playing these sounds is just as high-end, thanks to a velocity-sensitive, 37-note keyboard inherited from the Yamaha reface family of specialty synths. The reface line has won critical acclaim for feel and expressive nuance previously not thought possible from mini keys, and those keys are here.

Activate the arpeggiator, and the true power of the PSS-A50 is unleashed. It goes far beyond traditional arpeggio fare, offering a selection of 138 musical phrases suited to the various instrument Voices — including the drum kits for beat creation — as well as a myriad of up-to-the-minute musical styles. What’s more, the Phrase Recorder performs looper-like recording, letting the player create custom phrases then play them back continuously while building up the rest of the groove.

The Motion Effect button adds important musical expression such as filter sweeps, pitch dives, and modulation, and its effects are captured by the Phrase Recorder right along with the notes. Likewise for sustain and portamento, which are triggered by another button.

When connected to a computer with the included USB cable, the PSS-A50 can function as a MIDI controller for software instruments hosted on a computer, or even record its output as multi-track MIDI data into a DAW such as Cubase.

At under 20 inches wide and weighing just over two and a half pounds, the PSS-A50 easily slips into a backpack, and it’s built tough. It can run on four AA batteries or via USB bus power, so if it’s plugged into a computer (or a phone charger or a “power brick”), no batteries are required. For jamming in private, a stereo headphone output mutes the convenient built-in speaker.

“This much music production capability in a keyboard this tiny and affordable is unprecedented,” said Ben Harrison, marketing manager, Digital Piano and Portable Keyboard, Yamaha Corporation of America. “It’s ideal for the aspiring producer, but we think even pros would get addicted to it as an idea machine.”

Pricing and Availability

The Yamaha PSS-A50 will ship to retailers on November 1 at an MSRP of $169.00. For more information, visit the Yamaha Booth at the 2020 NAMM Show in the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Marquis Ballroom, January 16-19, 2020, or https://yamaha.io/2CcpEuU

About Yamaha

Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is one of the largest subsidiaries of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multiroom audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.

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Vistatec announce appointment of Michael J. Asquith to the global team


Michael J. Asquith, Senior Executive, Global Solutions, Vistatec

Industry experienced cross-cultural communications leader joins Vistatec as Global Solutions Executive.

Chicago based global content solutions practitioner, Michael J Asquith joins Vistatec as a Senior Executive, Global Solutions. Michael is an established thought-leader in the localization industry with experience in transglobal and cross-cultural work environments working in high-level management positions at Asia-based LSP’s over the last decade.

He has contributed to the architecture of sophisticated and impactful “Localization Programs” for many successful global brands.

“Joining Vistatec is like joining a team of experienced all-stars in the industry. Meshing with teams so focused on providing an outstanding customer experience to some of the most innovative brands in the world, that also happen to be our actual clients, has made my transition seamless and easy. It has been extremely welcoming in every way,” says Michael.

Having gained a wide range of skills through different roles in areas including Customer Centric Selling, Marketing, and Finance, Asquith will be looking after global accounts within Vistatec.

“It is inspiring to be joining Vistatec at this time; it is encouraging to work in an organization where our clients know they have a talented team of individuals across the globe to support their international objectives where even members of the executive management team stay regularly engaged. Vistatec excels at providing our customers with measurably impactful global content programs that deliver at every level.”

Ultimately, he says, “this allows our clients’ content development teams, in fast-paced environments, to be able to focus on the creativity and technicalities involved in the source language content regardless of the industry vertical or content type.”

About Vistatec

We have been helping some of the world’s most iconic brands to optimize their global commercial potential since 1997. Vistatec is one of the world’s leading global content solutions providers. HQ in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in Mountain View, California, USA. To learn more about Vistatec, please visit: http://www.vistatec.com

Media Contact

Priscillia Charles

Communications Director

https://vistatec.com/

priscillia.charles@vistatec.com

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Pendar X10™ selected as 2019 R&D 100 Award Winner


“With these new capabilities in their toolbelt, first responders will enjoy new levels of speed, accuracy and safety when encountering unknown chemicals in the field”

Pendar X10 has been announced as a winner of the R&D100 Awards in the Analytical/Test category. The awards celebrate the top 100 revolutionary technologies of the past year. Pendar X10 was introduced in February 2019 for rapid identification of hazardous chemicals in homemade explosives labs, clandestine drug labs, hazmat spills, industrial plants and pharmaceutical raw materials, including highly fluorescent, dark, and sensitive materials, at a standoff distance of 1 to 3 feet.

Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards program has a long history of recognizing outstanding innovations in science and technology. “Being named as one of the R&D 100 is an incredible honor,” said Paul J. Heney, Vice President, Editorial Director for R&D World. “These 100 winning products and technologies are the disruptors that will change industries and make the world a better place in the coming years.”

“Fifteen years ago, I and many of my current team were part of a company that introduced the innovations in Raman spectroscopy that allowed non-invasive, fieldable chemical identification, creating a new market in handheld spectroscopic instruments,” said Dr. Daryoosh Vakhshoori, CEO and Founder of Pendar Technologies. “We are pleased to see that the leap forward represented by our newest innovation is already being recognized as a market-changing technological advance. With these new capabilities in their toolbelt, first responders will enjoy new levels of speed, accuracy and safety when encountering unknown chemicals in the field.”

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Uniform Advantage Stores Collecting Food Donations to Help Those in Need


Food drive at UA retail locations

Food drive at UA retail locations

Our retail “Give Back” campaigns are a simple way for us to get our customers involved in community outreach, lending a hand to others they may have never known were in dire need.

Uniform Advantage (UA), a multi-channel retailer of scrub uniforms and accessories for healthcare and hospitality industries recently launched a food drive at all 29 of its retail locations aimed at helping those in need this holiday season.

From November 4th – 17th, customers supplying food donations are rewarded with 20% off an item in-store for their generosity. The donations will be delivered to local food banks and churches where they will be distributed to families and homeless shelters throughout the holidays.

Laura DiFeterici, Director of Retail Operations at Uniform Advantage commented on the campaign, “We’re constantly looking for ways in which to serve our surrounding communities and help those who help others, it’s what we do. Our retail “Give Back” campaigns are a simple way for us to get our customers involved in community outreach, lending a hand to others they may have never known were in dire need.”

In addition to food, under the “Give Back” campaign, Uniform Advantage has previously collected brand new toys and gently-worn scrubs and shoes with the purpose of helping the less fortunate.

For more information on Uniform Advantage retail stores or to find a store near you please visit http://www.uastores.com/.

About Uniform Advantage        

Uniform Advantage has represented style, quality and, above all, customer satisfaction for more than 30 years. As the first division of UA Brands, the chain was launched with a single South Florida store in 1985. Today, the company operates 29 retail locations in key markets across the U.S.; e-commerce and print catalog divisions; plus, designs and manufactures its own proprietary healthcare apparel lines. The company’s corporate office is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a distribution center near Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://www.UniformAdvantage.com or by calling 800-283-8708.

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