Tropical Medicine Medical Journal Abstracts
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Clinical profile, treatment response, and outcome of HIV-TB co-infected children
Pediatric Infectious Disease
Feb 2013
Clinical profile, treatment response, and outcome of HIV-TB co-infected children
Background: We studied the clinical presentation, treatment response and outcome in children with HIV-TB co-infection, registered at PCOE, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore. Methods: All 590 HIV infected children registered at our center were evaluated for TB infection. Information on TB was collected..Hepatitis B Screening in US Travelers Seen at the Boston Area Travel Medicine Network
Journal of Travel Medicine
Dec 2012
Hepatitis B Screening in US Travelers Seen at the Boston Area Travel Medicine Network
Background: Persons born in countries with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence ≥2% have increased risk for unrecognized hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Testing at pre-travel consultations is a strategy to identify previously undiagnosed HBV infections. Using records of travelers seen at the Boston Area..Local use of geographic information systems to improve data utilisation and health services: mapping caesarean section coverage in rural Rwanda
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Dec 2012
Local use of geographic information systems to improve data utilisation and health services: mapping caesarean section coverage in rural Rwanda
Objectives: To show the utility of combining routinely collected data with geographic location using a Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to facilitate a data-driven approach to identifying potential gaps in access to emergency obstetric care within a rural Rwandan health district. Methods: Total expected..Business Travelers' Risk Perception of Infectious Diseases: Where Are the Knowledge Gaps, and How Serious Are They?
Journal of Travel Medicine
Dec 2012
Business Travelers' Risk Perception of Infectious Diseases: Where Are the Knowledge Gaps, and How Serious Are They?
Background: Many studies have explored the risk perception of frequent business travelers (FBT) toward malaria. However, less is known about their knowledge of other infectious diseases. This study aimed to identify knowledge gaps by determining the risk perception of FBT toward 11 infectious diseases. Methods: Our..Adherence to miltefosine treatment for visceral leishmaniasis under routine conditions in Nepal
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Adherence to miltefosine treatment for visceral leishmaniasis under routine conditions in Nepal
Objective To assess patient adherence to unsupervised single-drug miltefosine treatment for visceral leishmaniasis and to identify the factors influencing adherence. Methods This is a prospective cohort study of 171 patients with Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in three healthcare settings in Nepal. Adherence was assessed..Prevalence and aetiology of juvenile skeletal fluorosis in the south-west of the Hai district, Tanzania – a community-based prevalence and case–control study
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Prevalence and aetiology of juvenile skeletal fluorosis in the south-west of the Hai district, Tanzania – a community-based prevalence and case–control study
Introduction: Fluorosis is endemic throughout the East African Rift valley, including parts of Tanzania. The aim of the study was to identify all cases of deforming juvenile skeletal fluorosis (JSF) in a northern Tanzanian village and to document the extent of dental fluorosis (DF). Methods: Door-to-door prevalence..Preliminary studies developing methods for the control of Chrysomya putoria, the African latrine fly, in pit latrines in The Gambia
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Preliminary studies developing methods for the control of Chrysomya putoria, the African latrine fly, in pit latrines in The Gambia
Objective: To explore ways of controlling Chrysomya putoria, the African latrine fly, in pit latrines. As pit latrines are a major source of these flies, eliminating these important breeding sites is likely to reduce village fly populations, and may reduce the spread of diarrhoeal pathogens. Methods: We treated 24..Tuberculosis and the risk of opportunistic infections and cancers in HIV-infected patients starting ART in Southern Africa
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Tuberculosis and the risk of opportunistic infections and cancers in HIV-infected patients starting ART in Southern Africa
Objectives: To investigate the incidence of selected opportunistic infections (OIs) and cancers and the role of a history of tuberculosis (TB) as a risk factor for developing these conditions in HIV-infected patients starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Southern Africa. Methods: Five ART programmes from Zimbabwe,..Measures of general and central obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes in a Ghanaian population
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Measures of general and central obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes in a Ghanaian population
Objective: The epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes is evident in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, their associations have hardly been examined in this region. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study in urban Ghana consisting of 1221 adults (542 cases and 679 controls) investigated the role of anthropometric..Measures of general and central obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes in a Ghanaian population
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Measures of general and central obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes in a Ghanaian population
Objective: The epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes is evident in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, their associations have hardly been examined in this region. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study in urban Ghana consisting of 1221 adults (542 cases and 679 controls) investigated the role of anthropometric..Socioeconomic burden of lymphatic filariasis in Georgetown, Guyana
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Socioeconomic burden of lymphatic filariasis in Georgetown, Guyana
Objective: To assess the socioeconomic impact of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Guyana. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study of 50 persons with chronic LF attending the Filariasis Clinic who were selected as the cases; and 50 persons with chronic skin conditions but no chronic LF, attending the Skin Clinic who..Typhoid Fever in an Inner City Hospital: A 5-Year Retrospective Review
Journal of Travel Medicine
Nov 2012
Typhoid Fever in an Inner City Hospital: A 5-Year Retrospective Review
Background: Typhoid is a leading cause of fever in returning travelers. The prevalence is highest in migrants visiting friends and relatives (VFR travelers) in the Indian subcontinent, where reports of resistance have been of concern. This study is a retrospective analysis of patients with typhoid, seen over a 5-year..Typhoid Fever in an Inner City Hospital: A 5-Year Retrospective Review
Journal of Travel Medicine
Nov 2012
Typhoid Fever in an Inner City Hospital: A 5-Year Retrospective Review
Background: Typhoid is a leading cause of fever in returning travelers. The prevalence is highest in migrants visiting friends and relatives (VFR travelers) in the Indian subcontinent, where reports of resistance have been of concern. This study is a retrospective analysis of patients with typhoid, seen over a 5-year..Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
Journal of Travel Medicine
Nov 2012
Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
Background: This study assessed the risk perception ratings of travelers pre- and post-travel and in comparison to the ratings by travel health experts. While most surveys on travel health knowledge, attitudes, and practices focus on malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases, noninfectious travel risks were included in..Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
Journal of Travel Medicine
Nov 2012
Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
Background: This study assessed the risk perception ratings of travelers pre- and post-travel and in comparison to the ratings by travel health experts. While most surveys on travel health knowledge, attitudes, and practices focus on malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases, noninfectious travel risks were included in..Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Among Patients Treated in Foreign Hospitals: Management Considerations During Medical Repatriation
Journal of Travel Medicine
Nov 2012
Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Among Patients Treated in Foreign Hospitals: Management Considerations During Medical Repatriation
Background: The repatriation of patients from foreign hospitals can foster the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MRB). We aimed to evaluate the incidence of MRB in patients treated in foreign hospitals and repatriated by international inter-hospital air transport in order to better manage these..Costs of inpatient treatment for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Costs of inpatient treatment for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
Background: In South Africa, patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are hospitalised from MDR-TB treatment initiation until culture conversion. Although MDR-TB accounts for <3% of incident TB in South Africa, 55% of the public sector TB budget is spent on MDR-TB. To inform new strategies for MDR-TB..Costs of inpatient treatment for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Costs of inpatient treatment for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
Background: In South Africa, patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are hospitalised from MDR-TB treatment initiation until culture conversion. Although MDR-TB accounts for <3% of incident TB in South Africa, 55% of the public sector TB budget is spent on MDR-TB. To inform new strategies for MDR-TB..Oral miltefosine for Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: a randomised trial
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Oral miltefosine for Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: a randomised trial
Objective: Standard treatment of Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is unsatisfactory because to achieve therapeutic effectiveness, heroic courses of parenteral and toxic agents have to be administered. Our objective was to evaluate oral miltefosine for its potential to provide effective as well as..Severe mental illness at ART initiation is associated with worse retention in care among HIV-infected Ugandan adults
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Severe mental illness at ART initiation is associated with worse retention in care among HIV-infected Ugandan adults
Objective: The impact of severe mental illness (SMI) on retention in HIV care remains uncertain. We aimed to measure the association between SMI at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and subsequent retention in care in HIV-infected Ugandan adults. Method: We conducted cohort study of 773 patients who initiated ART..Oral miltefosine for Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: a randomised trial
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Oral miltefosine for Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: a randomised trial
Objective: Standard treatment of Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is unsatisfactory because to achieve therapeutic effectiveness, heroic courses of parenteral and toxic agents have to be administered. Our objective was to evaluate oral miltefosine for its potential to provide effective as well as..Misclassification of pregnancy-related deaths in adult mortality surveys: case study in Senegal
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Misclassification of pregnancy-related deaths in adult mortality surveys: case study in Senegal
Objective: In countries with limited vital registration data, maternal mortality levels are often estimated using siblings' survival histories (SSH) collected during retrospective adult mortality surveys. We explored how accurately adult deaths can be classified as pregnancy related using such data. Method: The study..Misclassification of pregnancy-related deaths in adult mortality surveys: case study in Senegal
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Misclassification of pregnancy-related deaths in adult mortality surveys: case study in Senegal
Objective: In countries with limited vital registration data, maternal mortality levels are often estimated using siblings' survival histories (SSH) collected during retrospective adult mortality surveys. We explored how accurately adult deaths can be classified as pregnancy related using such data. Method: The study..In vivo susceptibility to benznidazole of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from the western Brazilian Amazon
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
In vivo susceptibility to benznidazole of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from the western Brazilian Amazon
Objective: To assess the susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from Amazon to benznidazole. Methods: We studied 23 strains of T. cruzi obtained from humans in the acute phase of Chagas disease, triatomines and marsupials in the state of Amazonas and from chronic patients and triatomines in the state of Paraná,..Systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between indoor air pollution and tuberculosis
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between indoor air pollution and tuberculosis
Objective: Half the world's population uses biomass fuel for their daily needs but the resultant emissions and indoor air pollution (IAP) are harmful to health. So far, evidence for a link between IAP and tuberculosis (TB) was insufficient. We report an updated systematic review due to recent increase in the evidence..Unrecognised tuberculosis at antiretroviral therapy initiation is associated with lower CD4+ T cell recovery
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Unrecognised tuberculosis at antiretroviral therapy initiation is associated with lower CD4+ T cell recovery
Objectives: To investigate whether an unrecognised diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) at the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) influences subsequent CD4+ T cell (CD4) count recovery in an urban HIV clinic in Uganda. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, a multivariable polynomial mixed effects model was used to..In vivo susceptibility to benznidazole of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from the western Brazilian Amazon
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
In vivo susceptibility to benznidazole of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from the western Brazilian Amazon
Objective: To assess the susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from Amazon to benznidazole. Methods: We studied 23 strains of T. cruzi obtained from humans in the acute phase of Chagas disease, triatomines and marsupials in the state of Amazonas and from chronic patients and triatomines in the state of Paraná,..Systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between indoor air pollution and tuberculosis
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between indoor air pollution and tuberculosis
Objective: Half the world's population uses biomass fuel for their daily needs but the resultant emissions and indoor air pollution (IAP) are harmful to health. So far, evidence for a link between IAP and tuberculosis (TB) was insufficient. We report an updated systematic review due to recent increase in the evidence..Conjugate vaccine introduction in the African meningitis belt: meeting surveillance objectives
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Nov 2012
Conjugate vaccine introduction in the African meningitis belt: meeting surveillance objectives
The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis will change with introduction of meningococcal and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in the African meningitis belt. The principal objectives of surveillance are to evaluate the impact of vaccination, to detect and investigate epidemics and provide material for research. The..Human papillomavirus distribution in invasive cervical carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa: could HIV explain the differences?
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Human papillomavirus distribution in invasive cervical carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa: could HIV explain the differences?
Objectives: To describe human papillomavirus (HPV) distribution in invasive cervical carcinoma (ICC) from Mali and Senegal and to compare type-specific relative contribution among sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Methods: A multicentric study was conducted to collect paraffin-embedded blocks of ICC. Polymerase..Development and validation of a ‘universal’ HPLC method for pyrethroid quantification in long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets for malaria control and prevention
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Development and validation of a ‘universal’ HPLC method for pyrethroid quantification in long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets for malaria control and prevention
Objectives: To outline the development and validation of a universal method for quantifying deltamethrin, permethrin and alpha-cypermethrin levels in a variety of long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets. Methods: Using the HPLC conditions found in the CIPAC method for deltamethrin quantification, the method is based on..Emergence of a new focus of Plasmodium malariae in forest villages of district Balaghat, Central India: implications for the diagnosis of malaria and its control
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Emergence of a new focus of Plasmodium malariae in forest villages of district Balaghat, Central India: implications for the diagnosis of malaria and its control
Objective: During an epidemiological study (January–July 2012) on malaria in forest villages of Central India, Plasmodium malariae-like malaria parasites were observed in blood smears of fever cases. We aimed to confirm the presence of P. malariae using molecular tools i.e. species-specific nested polymerase chain..Nutritional supplementation: the additional costs of managing children infected with HIV in resource-constrained settings
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Nutritional supplementation: the additional costs of managing children infected with HIV in resource-constrained settings
Objective: To explore the financial implications of applying the WHO guidelines for the nutritional management of HIV-infected children in a rural South African HIV programme. Methods: WHO guidelines describe Nutritional Care Plans (NCPs) for three categories of HIV-infected children: NCP-A: growing adequately; NCP-B:..Pharmacokinetics of anti-tuberculosis drugs in Venezuelan children younger than 16 years of age: supportive evidence for the implementation of revised WHO dosing recommendations
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Pharmacokinetics of anti-tuberculosis drugs in Venezuelan children younger than 16 years of age: supportive evidence for the implementation of revised WHO dosing recommendations
Objectives: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued revised first-line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drug dose recommendations for children, with dose increases proposed for each drug. No pharmacokinetic data are available from South American children. We examined the need for implementation of these revised..Serological survey of HIV and syphilis in pregnant women in Madagascar
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Oct 2012
Serological survey of HIV and syphilis in pregnant women in Madagascar
Objectives: Peripartal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, leads to severe consequences for newborns. Preventive measures require awareness of the maternal infection. Although HIV and syphilis testing in Madagascar could be theoretically carried..Tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist drugs and leishmaniasis in Europe
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Oct 2012
Tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist drugs and leishmaniasis in Europe
Leishmaniasis is endemic in Europe and the prevalence of latent infection in the Mediterranean region is high. Reports describing opportunistic leishmaniasis in European patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha antagonist drugs are rapidly accumulating. For other granulomatous infections, risk of..Acute toxoplasmoses in immunocompetent patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit in French Guiana
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Sep 2012
Acute toxoplasmoses in immunocompetent patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit in French Guiana
Atypical Toxoplasma gondii strains, unrelated to archetypal clonal lineages (I, II, III), have been reported more frequently over the last decade in areas other than Europe and North America. A newly described form of toxoplasmosis, ‘Amazonian toxoplasmosis’ (AT), has been reported since 2002 in French Guiana. It is..Loss to programme between HIV diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Sep 2012
Loss to programme between HIV diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
Objectives: To assess the proportion of patients lost to programme (died, lost to follow-up, transferred out) between HIV diagnosis and start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, and determine factors associated with loss to programme. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed..Unrecognised tuberculosis at antiretroviral therapy initiation is associated with lower CD4+ T cell recovery
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Sep 2012
Unrecognised tuberculosis at antiretroviral therapy initiation is associated with lower CD4+ T cell recovery
Objectives: To investigate whether an unrecognised diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) at the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) influences subsequent CD4+ T cell (CD4) count recovery in an urban HIV clinic in Uganda. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, a multivariable polynomial mixed effects model was used to..Advances with vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis
Tropical Medcine and International Health
Sep 2012
Advances with vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis
In the last decade, meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccination programs have been demonstrated to be hugely successful with a truly impressive public health impact. In sub-Saharan Africa, with the implementation of an affordable serogroup A conjugate vaccine, it is hoped that a similar public health impact will be..Antimalarial evaluation and docking studies of hybrid phenylthiazolyl-1,3,5-triazine derivatives: A novel and potential antifolate lead for Pf-DHFR-TS inhibition
Experimental Parasitology
Jan 2012
Antimalarial evaluation and docking studies of hybrid phenylthiazolyl-1,3,5-triazine derivatives: A novel and potential antifolate lead for Pf-DHFR-TS inhibition
Present communication deals with the docking study of hybrid phenyl thiazolyl-1,3,5-triazine analogues (1a-36d) on three selected different binding site viz., α, β and γ of wild type Pf-DFHR-TS. In admiration of excellent Hbond scoring, with regard to cycloguanil and to a large extent similar scoring with WR99210,..Semi-recumbent body position fails to prevent healthcare-associated pneumonia in Vietnamese patients with severe tetanus
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Dec 2011
Semi-recumbent body position fails to prevent healthcare-associated pneumonia in Vietnamese patients with severe tetanus
Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is a common complication in patients with severe tetanus. Nursing tetanus patients in a semi-recumbent body position could reduce the incidence of HCAP. In a randomised controlled trial we compared the occurrence of HCAP in patients with severe tetanus nursed in a semi-recumbent..Intermittent preventive therapy for malaria with monthly artemether—lumefantrine for the post-discharge management of severe anaemia in children aged 4—59 months in southern Malawi: a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Dec 2011
Intermittent preventive therapy for malaria with monthly artemether—lumefantrine for the post-discharge management of severe anaemia in children aged 4—59 months in southern Malawi: a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Background: Young children with severe malarial anaemia in Africa are at high risk of readmittance to hospital or death within 6 months of discharge. We aimed to assess whether 3 months of chemoprevention with artemether—lumefantrine reduced this risk. Methods: We did a randomised, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial..Scientists and public involvement: a consultation on the relation between malaria, vector control and transgenic mosquitoes
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Dec 2011
Scientists and public involvement: a consultation on the relation between malaria, vector control and transgenic mosquitoes
Among the hopes for vector-based malaria control, the use of transgenic mosquitoes able to kill malaria parasites is seen as a potential way to interrupt malaria transmission. While this potential solution is gaining some support, the ethical and social aspects related to this high-tech method remain largely unexplored..Cost effectiveness of child pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in middle-income countries
International Health
Nov 2011
Cost effectiveness of child pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in middle-income countries
Policy-makers require information on the potential benefits of and economic case for pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in middle-income countries. We built decision analysis models to evaluate a three-dose infant series of the 7-, 10- or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in 77 middle-income countries compared..Bolivian migrants with Chagas disease in Barcelona, Spain: a qualitative study of dietary changes and digestive problems
International Health
Nov 2011
Bolivian migrants with Chagas disease in Barcelona, Spain: a qualitative study of dietary changes and digestive problems
Due to international migration, Chagas disease, endemic in Latin America, has become more common in non-endemic areas. Chronic Chagas disease can cause damage to the digestive system leading to constipation. However, a range of factors influences constipation and a better understanding of the role of non-Chagas related..Vaccines and global health
Philosophical Transactions B
Sep 2011
Vaccines and global health
Vaccines have made a major contribution to global health in recent decades but they could do much more. In November 2011, a Royal Society discussion meeting, ‘New vaccines for global health’, was held in London to discuss the past contribution of vaccines to global health and to consider what more could be expected in..Vaccines against malaria
Philosophical Transactions B
Sep 2011
Vaccines against malaria
There is no licenced vaccine against any human parasitic disease and Plasmodium falciparum malaria, a major cause of infectious mortality, presents a great challenge to vaccine developers. This has led to the assessment of a wide variety of approaches to malaria vaccine design and development, assisted by the..Prevalence of congenital malaria in minna, north central Nigeria.
Journal of tropical medicine
Aug 2011
Prevalence of congenital malaria in minna, north central Nigeria.
The study was designed to determine the true prevalence of congenital, cord, and placental malaria in General Hospital Minna, North Central Nigeria. Peripheral blood smears of near-term pregnant women, as well as the placental, cord, and peripheral blood smears of their newborn babies, were examined for malaria..
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