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M R Farlow

Publications and source records attributed to M R Farlow.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Association of an interleukin 1 alpha polymorphism with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective epidemiologic studies suggest that individuals exposed to anti-inflammatory agents such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a lower probability of developing AD as well as an older age at onset for the illness. Neuroinflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Interleukin 1 (IL-1), a potent proinflammatory cytokine, is colocalized immunohistochemically to neuritic plaques, a requisite neuropathologic feature for AD. A polymorphism in the 5'-flanking regulatory region at -889 of the IL-1 alpha gene (a C-to-T transition designated as IL-1A[-889] allele 2) may cause an overexpression of IL-1 alpha, a finding shown to be associated with inflammatory diseases. The IL-1A(-889) allele 2 polymorphism may be associated with AD pathogenesis. METHODS: A total of 259 patients with AD and 192 nondemented control subjects were included from two different centers (Indianapolis, IN, and Munich, Germany). Genotyping for APOE alleles and IL-1A(-889) allele 2 was performed by PCR-based amplification followed by restrictive endonuclease digestion. Statistical analyses were conducted by center-, gender group-, and age group-stratified Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios, CI, and p values. RESULTS: The allele frequency of IL-1A(-889) allele 2 was 46% in clinically diagnosed patients with probable AD versus 34% in control subjects from the combined centers. CONCLUSION: The authors found an increased risk for AD with an estimated Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio of 1.68 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.6; p = 0.022) for heterozygous carriers and 7.2 (95% CI 2.0 to 24.5; p = 0.003) for individuals homozygous for IL-1A(-889) allele 2. They found no evidence for an interaction between the IL-1A and the apoE epsilon 4 polymorphisms (carriers and homozygotes), age, or gender with regard to conferred risk. The data strongly support an association between the IL-1A(-889) allele 2, especially in homozygotes, and later-onset AD.

Aged↗

A randomized controlled trial of prednisone in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory and epidemiologic studies suggest that anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive therapy may be useful in the treatment of AD. In preliminary studies, a regimen of low to moderate dose prednisone was found to suppress peripheral inflammatory markers without adverse effects in subjects with AD. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial to determine whether prednisone treatment slowed the rate of cognitive decline in AD. The active treatment regimen consisted of an initial dose of 20 mg of prednisone daily for 4 weeks tapered to a maintenance dose of 10 mg daily for 1 year, followed by gradual withdrawal during an additional 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the 1-year change in the cognitive subscale of the AD Assessment Scale. RESULTS: A total of 138 subjects were randomized to the drug and placebo groups. There was no difference in cognitive decline between the prednisone and placebo treatment groups in the primary intent-to-treat analysis, or in a secondary analysis considering completers only. Subjects treated with prednisone showed behavioral decline compared with those in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: A low-dose regimen of prednisone is not useful in the treatment of AD.

Aged↗

Estrogen for Alzheimer's disease in women: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: AD, the most prevalent cause of dementia, affects twice as many women as men. Therapeutic options are limited, but results of prior studies support the hypothesis that estrogen treatment may improve symptoms of women with this disorder. METHODS: Forty-two women with mild-to-moderate dementia due to AD were enrolled into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial of unopposed conjugated equine estrogens (1.25 mg/day) for 16 weeks. RESULTS: Outcome data were available for 40 women at 4 weeks and 36 women at 16 weeks. At both 4 and 16 weeks, there were no significant differences or statistical trends between treatment groups on the primary outcome measure (the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale), clinician-rated global impression of change, or caregiver-rated functional status. Exploratory analyses of mood and specific aspects of cognitive performance also failed to demonstrate substantial group differences. CONCLUSION: Although conclusions are limited by small sample size and the possibility of a type II error, results suggest that short-term estrogen therapy does not improve symptoms of most women with AD. These findings do not address possible long-term effects of estrogen in AD, possible interactions between estrogen and other treatment modalities, or putative effects of estrogen in preventing or delaying onset of this disorder.

Affect↗

Alpha2 macroglobulin and the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: alpha2 Macroglobulin is a panproteinase inhibitor that is found immunohistochemically in neuritic plaques, a requisite neuropathologic feature of AD. Recently, a pentanucleotide deletion near the 5' end of the "bait region" of the alpha2 macroglobulin (A2M) gene was reported to be associated with AD in a large cohort of sibpairs, in which the mutation conferred a similar odds ratio with AD as the APOE-epsilon4 allele for carriers of at least one copy of the A2M gene (Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio, 3.56). METHODS: We studied three independent association samples of AD patients (n = 309) with an age range of 50 to 94 years and representative controls (n = 281) to characterize the allele frequency of the pentanucleotide deletion in this cohort. We detected the mutation near the 5' splice site of exon 18 using standard PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. The results were adjusted for age, gender, education, and APOE polymorphism. RESULTS: We found that the A2M gene polymorphism conferred an increased risk for AD, with an estimated Mantel-Haenszel ratio of 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.2; p = 0.025). There was no age- or gender-dependent increase in A2M gene allele frequencies in AD patients compared with controls. The combined sample showed the expected association between AD and APOE-epsilon 4. In one of our three samples there was an interaction between the A2M and APOE-epsilon4 genes, but the other two samples showed no interaction between the two risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support an association between the A2M gene and AD. This association is less pronounced, however, in our cohort than in the previously reported sample of sibpairs.

Aged↗

Serum cholesterol, APOE genotype, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease: a population-based study of African Americans.

A significant interaction among total serum cholesterol (TC), APOE genotype, and AD risk was found in a population-based study of elderly African Americans. Increasing TC was associated with increased AD risk in the group with no epsilon4 alleles, whereas TC was not associated with increased AD risk in the group with one or more epsilon4 alleles. Further study of the relationship between cholesterol and APOE genotype is needed to confirm this association, but the results suggest that cholesterol may be a potentially modifiable environmental risk factor for AD.

Aged↗

Early-onset Alzheimer disease caused by a new mutation (V717L) in the amyloid precursor protein gene.

CONTEXT: Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. Mutations in the genes amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1(PS1) and presenilin 2(PS2) have been found in early-onset familial forms of Alzheimer disease OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of dementia in a family with early-onset illness. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A family with a history of dementia was referred to the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center, Indianapolis. All the research in this study was done in a university or university hospital. The proband and her 4 siblings took part in the study. The proband, who is still alive, showed symptoms of Alzheimer disease at 38 years of age. Genomic DNA was obtained from blood samples of 5 family members. The APPandPS1genes of the proband were screened for mutations by amplification followed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Sequence of exon 17 of the APPgene revealed a single nucleotide (guanine to cytosine) substitution in 1 allele, resulting in an amino acid change at codon 717 (valine to leucine). Each of the proband's siblings were tested for this mutation by direct sequencing. Two of the 4 were found to have the mutation; one of whom was recently clinically diagnosed at the age of 36 years. CONCLUSIONS: A novel mutation in the APPgene (V717L) has been found in a family with a history of dementia, beginning in the mid to late 30s. The age of onset in this family is earlier than most of the other families with Alzheimer disease who also have APPmutations. Arch Neurol. 2000.

Adult↗

Senile dementia associated with amyloid beta protein angiopathy and tau perivascular pathology but not neuritic plaques in patients homozygous for the APOE-epsilon4 allele.

Amyloid beta protein deposition in cortical and leptomeningeal vessels, causing the most common type of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, is found in sporadic and familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is the principal feature in the hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis, Dutch type. The presence of the Apolipopriotein E (APOE)-epsilon4 allele has been implicated as a risk factor for AD and the development of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in AD. We report clinical, pathological and biochemical studies on two APOE-epsilon4 homozygous subjects, who had senile dementia and whose main neuropathological feature was a severe and diffuse amyloid angiopathy associated with perivascular tau neurofibrillary pathology. Amyloid beta protein and ApoE immunoreactivity were observed in leptomeningeal vessels as well as in medium-sized and small vessels and capillaries in the parenchyma of the neocortex, hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum, midbrain, pons, and medulla. The predominant peptide form of amyloid beta protein was that terminating at residue Val40, as determined by immunohistochemistry, amino acid sequence and mass spectrometry analysis. A crown of tau-immunopositive cell processes was consistently present around blood vessels. DNA sequence analysis of the Amyloid Precursor Protein gene and Presenilin-1 (PS-1) gene revealed no mutations. In these APOE-epsilon4 homozygous patients, the pathological process differed from that typically seen in AD in that they showed a heavy burden of perivascular tau-immunopositive cell processes associated with severe amyloid beta protein angiopathy, neurofibrillary tangles, some cortical Lewy bodies and an absence of neuritic plaques. These cases emphasize the concept that tau deposits may be pathogenetically related to amyloid beta protein deposition.

Aged↗

Cholinesterase inhibitors, beta-amyloid precursor protein and amyloid beta-peptides in Alzheimer's disease.

The extracellular deposition of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) in the form of cerebrovascular amyloid and extracellular plaques is one of the major neuropathological manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta is generated proteolytically from the large beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is cleaved by a group of proteases called "secretase" to generate soluble derivatives of APP (sAPP), which are secreted in human plasma, CSF and cultured cells. Neurochemically, there is a severe loss of cholinergic neurons and a decreased synthesis of acetylcholine in neocortex in AD. Current approved AD drugs, such as aricept and tacrine, are based on the use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and have been reported to improve memory deficits and cognitive decline in some patients with AD. To compare the effects of ChEIs on APP processing, we have tested a series of ChEIs such as tacrine, physostigmine, metrifonate, phenserine and cymserine in cultured human neuroblastoma cells. We analyzed levels of sAPP by immunochemical techniques with APP-specific antibodies and assayed levels of Abeta by a sensitive sandwich ELISA. Based on these results, ChEIs can be divided into three groups: the first group of ChEIs had no effect on sAPP secretion, the second decreased the sAPP secretion only, and third group affected the secretion of sAPP and Abeta. The difference in the action of metrifonate, physostigmine, phenserine and tacrine on APP processing is independent of their selectivity for the cholinesterase enzymes. This possibly is due to the different targets that are used by ChEIs. Studying the effects of ChEIs on different targets is useful to maximize the benefit of ChEIs for the treatment of AD subjects.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Neuroserpin mutation S52R causes neuroserpin accumulation in neurons and is associated with progressive myoclonus epilepsy.

Mutations in the Neuroserpin gene have been reported to cause familial presenile dementia. We describe a new family in which the S52R Neuroserpin mutation is associated with progressive myoclonus epilepsy in 2 siblings. The proband presented myoclonus and epilepsy at age 24, his brother and mother presented a similar disorder when they were 25. A clinical diagnosis of progressive myoclonus epilepsy was made on the proband and his brother. Skin and liver biopsies did not reveal the presence of cytological alterations in the proband. His neurological status worsened over the subsequent 19 yr during which he became demented and had uncontrollable seizures. He died at 43 yr of age from aspiration pneumonia. Neuropathologically, eosinophilic bodies, which were positive for periodic acid-Schiff and immunoreactive with antibodies against human neuroserpin, were present in the perikarya and cell processes of the neurons. They were found in large numbers in the cerebral cortex and substantia nigra and to a lesser extent, in most subcortical gray areas, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia. By electron microscopy, the intracytoplasmic bodies were contained within the membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Occasionally neuroserpin immunopositivity was seen throughout the cytoplasm, even without the presence of well-defined bodies. Our study characterizes for the first time the neuropathologic phenotype associated with hereditary progressive myoclonus epilepsy caused by the S52R Neuroserpin mutation.

Adult↗

Effect of a memory-enhancing drug, AIT-082, on the level of synaptophysin.

Our objective is to study the effect of AIT-082 on the level of synaptophysin in cultured pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The drug AIT-082, a unique purine hypoxanthine derivative, is under development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed synaptophysin protein as an index of synaptic numbers and density and indirectly neuronal transmission. PC12 cells were treated with nerve growth factor (NGF) (50 ng/ml) and/or different doses of AIT-082 (5-50 ng/ml) obtained from NeoTherapeutics, CA. In the western immunoblots of conditioned media and cell lysates, we detected synaptophysin as 36-40 kDa protein bands. When PC12 cells were treated with NGF and samples were analyzed at 24 or 48 hours after treatment, the secretion of synaptophysin was drastically reduced in the conditioned medium. A significant reduction in the intracellular levels of synaptophysin in NGF-treated samples was also noted. By contrast, when PC12 cells were treated with AIT-082, the secretion of synaptophysin was increased in the conditioned medium as compared to the control. There was also a significant increase in the intracellular levels of synaptophysin in AIT-082-treated cultures. NGF treatment resulted in sympathetic neuronal phenotypes in PC12 cells. As it is known that the immunoreactivity of the synaptophysin protein correlates with the density of the synaptic terminal, our results suggest that treatment by AIT-082 could enhance neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic terminal, which may play a role in the improvement of cognition seen in AD subjects.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Metrifonate treatment of AD: influence of APOE genotype.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether an interaction exists between APOE genotype and the response of AD patients to metrifonate treatment and whether APOE genotype independently affects the rate of AD progression. BACKGROUND: Metrifonate is a new acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of AD symptoms. METHODS: Data were pooled from four prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and analyzed retrospectively. A total of 959 patients who received once-daily placebo (n = 374) or metrifonate (30 to 60 mg based on weight or a 50-mg fixed dose, n = 585) for up to 26 weeks agreed to APOE genotyping. RESULTS: Metrifonate clearly improved the cognitive performance of the AD patients when compared with placebo (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale [ADAS-Cog], p = 0.0001). The interaction of APOE genotype and the metrifonate effect on cognitive performance were not significant (p = 0.25). Metrifonate also clearly improved the global function of the AD patients when compared with placebo (Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change with Caregiver Input [CIBIC-Plus], p = 0.0001). The interaction of APOE genotype with the metrifonate effect on global function also was not significant (p = 0.70). No significant three-way interactions were observed among APOE genotype, gender, and response to metrifonate treatment (ADAS-Cog, p = 0.68; CIBIC-Plus, p = 0.26). APOE genotype did not influence disease progression as evaluated by either cognitive performance (ADAS-Cog, p = 0.93) or global function (CIBIC-Plus, p = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from these studies of up to 26 weeks' duration do not clearly support an interaction between APOE genotype and metrifonate treatment effects. They suggest that APOE genotypes do not necessarily predict an AD patient's response to metrifonate treatment and that APOE genotype may not influence the rate of disease progression for patients with mild to moderate AD.

Aged↗

Rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism: linkage to chromosome 19q13.

Rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RPD) is an autosomal dominant movement disorder characterized by sudden onset of persistent dystonia and parkinsonism, generally during adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms evolve over hours or days, and generally stabilize within a few weeks, with slow or no progression. Other features include little or no response to L-dopa, and low levels of homovanillic acid in the central nervous system. Neuroimaging studies indicate no degeneration of dopaminergic nerve terminals in RDP, suggesting that this disorder results from a functional deficit, as in dystonia, rather than neuronal loss, as in Parkinson's disease. We studied 81 members of two midwestern US families with RDP, 16 of whom exhibited classic features of RDP. We found significant evidence for linkage in these two families to markers on chromosome 19q13, with the highest multipoint LOD score at D19S198 (z = 5.77 at theta = 0.0). The flanking markers D19S587 and D19S900 define a candidate region of approximately 8 cM. Although RDP itself is a rare condition, it is important because it has clinical and biochemical similarities to both Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Identification of the genetic defect in RDP holds promise for understanding the underlying disease processes of both of these more common diseases.

Adolescent↗

PET imaging of the pre-synaptic dopamine uptake sites in rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RDP).

BACKGROUND: Rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RDP) is a genetic movement disorder characterized by abrupt onset over hours to days of bradykinesia, postural instability, dysphagia, dysarthria, and severe dystonic spasms with decreased levels of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). METHODS: We imaged the dopamine re-uptake system with [O-methyl-11C]beta-CFT ([11C]beta-CFT) in three severely affected individuals with RDP and four patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Results were compared with those of age-matched normal volunteers. RESULTS: Positron emission tomography images from those patients with IPD demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the volume of distribution of [11C]beta-CFT whereas patients with RDP showed slightly elevated values. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that patients with RDP do not have a decrease in the number of dopamine re-uptake sites. Our findings suggest that, unlike the situation in IPD, low CSF HVA concentrations seen in RDP patients are not the result of degeneration of striatal dopamine terminals or loss of dopamine re-uptake sites.

Adult↗

The secretion of amyloid beta-peptides is inhibited in the tacrine-treated human neuroblastoma cells.

The amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is an approximately 4 kD secreted protein normally found in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Abeta is invariably deposited as insoluble amyloid fibrils in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and there is increasing evidence that Abeta deposition plays an important role in AD pathogenesis. Abeta is released from the larger beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) through cleavage on the amino and carboxyl side of Abeta by proteolytic activities referred to as beta and gamma secretase, respectively. betaAPP is also cleaved at Abeta16 by a third protease, alpha secretase, which may prevent amyloid deposition by bisecting the Abeta peptide. Tacrine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to improve memory and cognitive functions in some patients with AD, and we have previously demonstrated that it significantly reduces the levels of the secretion of soluble betaAPP fragments (sAPP) in cultured cells. In this study, we extended our studies by analysis of Abeta40 and Abeta42 and report that in a human neuroblastoma cell line tacrine reduced the levels of total Abeta, Abeta40 and Abeta42 in addition to sAPP. These inhibitory results cannot be attributed to a reduction in total betaAPP synthesis as tacrine treatment did not cause a significant change in the rate of betaAPP synthesis. Furthermore, significant toxicity was not observed in tacrine-treated cultures as determined by analysis of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the conditioned media. Taken together, these results suggest that tacrine affects the processing of betaAPP by alterations in betaAPP trafficking and/or increased intracellular proteolysis. This study raises the possibility that tacrine may aid in the treatment of AD due to its effects on betaAPP processing as well as by its effects on the cholinergic pathway.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

The diagnosis, genetics, risk factors, neuropathology, and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are discussed. AD is a degenerative brain disorder and is the leading cause of dementia. Clinical manifestations of AD are primarily the progressive loss of memory and language. Other signs and symptoms of the disease include psychiatric and behavioral disturbances and impairments in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL). To diagnose AD, other causes of dementia-- some of which may be reversible--must be ruled out by laboratory testing and neuroimaging. The pathogenic process that causes AD has not been fully delineated; however, it clearly leads to neuropathology characterized by neuritic plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and loss of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Genetic factors, including mutations in the amyloid precursor protein and the two presenilin genes, appear important in the development of early-onset familial AD, whereas the apolipoprotein E genotype influences the timing of disease onset after age 65. Genetic factors may promote or accelerate deposition of beta-amyloid protein to form plaques, as well as abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein to form neurofibrillary tangles. Several biochemical factors, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal deficiency (estrogen), and other unmodifiable risk factors, notably aging, also play a role in the pathogenic process. The loss of neurons and synaptic connections is selective and causes deficiencies in cholinergic and other neurotransmitter systems, leading to cognitive dysfunction, psychiatric and behavioral disturbances, and eventual loss of ability to perform ADL. The etiology and pathogenesis of AD are highly complex; more effective therapeutic approaches than those currently available will be needed to address these underlying factors more specifically.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Mutation in the tau gene in familial multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia.

Familial multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia (MSTD) is a neurodegenerative disease with an abundant filamentous tau protein pathology. It belongs to the group of familial frontotemporal dementias with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), a major class of inherited dementing disorders whose genetic basis is unknown. We now report a G to A transition in the intron following exon 10 of the gene for microtubule-associated protein tau in familial MSTD. The mutation is located at the 3' neighboring nucleotide of the GT splice-donor site and disrupts a predicted stem-loop structure. We also report an abnormal preponderance of soluble tau protein isoforms with four microtubule-binding repeats over isoforms with three repeats in familial MSTD. This most likely accounts for our previous finding that sarkosyl-insoluble tau protein extracted from the filamentous deposits in familial MSTD consists only of tau isoforms with four repeats. These findings reveal that a departure from the normal ratio of four-repeat to three-repeat tau isoforms leads to the formation of abnormal tau filaments. The results show that dysregulation of tau protein production can cause neurodegeneration and imply that the FTDP-17 gene is the tau gene. This work has major implications for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.

Adenine↗

Functional brain imaging in apraxia.

BACKGROUND: An extensive literature describes structural lesions in apraxia, but few studies have used functional neuroimaging. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to characterize relative cerebral glucose metabolism in a 65-year-old, right-handed woman with progressive decline in ability to manipulate objects, write, and articulate speech. OBJECTIVE: To characterize functional brain organization in apraxia. DESIGN AND METHODS: The patient underwent a neurological examination, neuropsychological testing, magnetic resonance imaging, and fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET. The patient's magnetic resonance image was coregistered to her PET image, which was compared with the PET images of 7 right-handed, healthy controls. Hemispheric regions of interest were normalized by calcrine cortex. RESULTS: Except for apraxia and mild grip weakness, results of the neurological examination were normal. There was ideomotor apraxia of both hands (command, imitation, and object) and buccofacial apraxia. The patient could recognize meaningful gestures performed by the examiner and discriminate between his accurate and awkward pantomime. The magnetic resonance image showed moderate generalized atrophy and mild ischemic changes. Positron emission tomographic scans showed abnormal fludeoxyglucose F 18 uptake in the posterior frontal, supplementary motor, and parietal regions, the left affected more than the right. Focal metabolic deficit was present in the angular gyrus, an area hypothesized to store conceptual knowledge of skilled movement. CONCLUSIONS: Greater parietal than frontal physiological dysfunction and preserved gesture recognition are not consistent with the theory that knowledge of limb praxis is stored in the dominant parietal cortex. Gesture comprehension may be more diffusely distributed.

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