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Love them or loathe them, tattoos are almost as common a body modification as ear piercing or self-tanning, but according to recent research getting inked carries far more risks than many people realise.

In research which was conducted by the European Chemicals Agency, there exist a number of potential health risks when choosing certain colours for your tat of choice.

According to The Independent, scientists have established that the composition of certain tattoo ink can make them more toxic than others.

"Many reports show significant concerns for public health stemming from the composition of inks used for tattooing," experts asserted ahead of the study's publication.

"The most severe concerns are allergies caused by the substances in the inks and possible carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductively toxic effects," scientists explained.

Research concluded that red ink has been linked to dermatitis due to the presence of mercury sulphide while blue, green and purple ink are known to cause granulomas – which are characterised as little ridges or bumps on the skin.

Further to this research, the NHS in the UK have issued a warning regarding the use of black or neutral henna, saying: "If you see a shop or stall offering to paint black tattoos onto your skin, don’t be tempted to get one."

"It could leave you scarred for life and put you at risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction," they added.

As it stands, inks are not currently regulated within the EU, and if considered harmful will be banned.

Confirming the position, a spokesperson for the European Chemicals Agency said: "If it is found that a restriction is needed, a formal proposal to restrict the substances will be submitted within one year to initiate the process."

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There are some people whose feet hit the floor the moment their alarm sounds in the morning… and then there's the rest of us.

Setting multiple alarms at night before desperately stabbing the snooze button the following morning is as regular a routine for many of us as brushing our teeth and losing our keys.

If, however, giving yourself those extra few minutes in bed rarely has the desired effect, it's likely you've fallen victim to sleep inertia.

According to ASAP Science, regularly using the snooze button has a woeful effect on your body's sleep cycle, and if you immediately fall back asleep after going for the ol' 'snooze and roll over' move, you're setting yourself up for a day of despair,

Each time you press snooze and go back asleep, you delay the wake-up process, confuse your body and are forced to endure even more sleep inertia as the day progresses.

Thankfully, this groggy feeling – which many of us have become accustomed to – lifts throughout the day, but if you want to see the back of it forever, the experts suggest you pretend the snooze button doesn't exist. 

We can't promise we'll try, but we'll TRY to try.

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Gigi Hadid or not, you don't land yourself the cover of Vogue – and the Olympic edition, no less – without knowing a thing or two about how to keep yourself in tip-top condition.

While the waif-likes models of the 90s – known for perpetuating the 'Heroin Chic' look – appeared to exist on almost nothing, the new generation of runway models seem keen to showcase their athletic ability and nutritional know-how when possible.

An athlete during her highschool days, Gigi has maintained her interest in fitness – something which her personal trainer, Rob Piela, confirmed while speaking to Vogue.

Having been training Zayn's girlfriend for almost three years, Rob pays tribute to the model's focus and determination, saying: "It’s all about how hard you work and how much you put in – Gigi is a hard worker."

Working-out four times a week, Gigi alternates between cardio exercise like boxing and strenuous floor work – all of which goes a long towards maintaining those enviable abs.

"Staying fit is all about consistency,” Rob warns. “Don’t miss workout days; don’t get lazy in the winter."

In addition to avoiding sugar, Rob encourages Gigi to perform planks for deep muscles, crunches for the classic six-pack and leg raises when focusing on lower abdominals, saying: "The combination of those three moves is golden."

And these, ladies, are the moves you need to make if you want a core like Kendall's BFF.

1. Boxing warm- up (10 minutes)

2. Crunches (Three sets of 40)

3. Boxing (10 minutes)

4. Bicycle crunches (Three sets of 40)

5. Boxing (10 minutes)

6. Plank (60 seconds)

7. Leg raises ( Four sets of 25)

That's cool, we'll start tomorrow….

 

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Discussion surrounding anxiety and the lived experience of those who suffer through it has, thankfully, become part of society's daily discourse.

From well-meaning memes and heartfelt Tumblr posts illustrating the agony of an anxious mind to oratory from high-profile individuals campaigning for further awareness of the issue – all are incredibly worthy contributions to a discussion which desperately needs to maintain – if not gain – momentum.

Encouraging communication with friends appears to be a key theme in removing the stigma, and while undoubtedly sound advice, for a child it's unfortunately not that simple. 

You can't exactly shuffle up to your colour group leader and be all: "Oh hey Ciaran, only me. So basically, I'm worrying myself into an early grave because I think Claire looked at me funny during long division. Any advice?"

Other kids played GAA after school or did Speech and Drama at the weekend. Me, I worried for a hobby. 

I was often riddled with unwarranted guilt and unnecessary anxiety, but as far as I can see, nothing sparked it or indeed accelerated it, and yet it manifested itself in primary school, and is as vivid a childhood association as Fat Frog ice pops, light-up runners and rip-off tracksuit bottoms.

And I didn't help myself – I was super creative when it came to tying myself in knots and ruining all my own after-school down-time. 

         I remember asking myself how Ginger Spice would pose for this shot…nailed it.

Kenan and Kel was spent creating a worry, Sister Sister was spent turning it over in my mind and Sabrina the Teenage Witch signalled the alarm for full-on nausea. I mean, I was exhausting to be, and exhausting to be around.

"But, Mam what if this happens?" "But Mam what if that happens?"

I managed to invent ludicrous worries – incidents which never actually happened and were very, very unlikely to – and then worried myself sick until I got distracted by another conjured concern and focussed all of my attention on that.

I used rifle through my books before lending them to the school library incase there was anything of a questionable nature nestled inside. 

What did I think I might have hidden in there? A spliff? a condom? My dastardly plan for world domination?

I once outted myself and was punished – minus five points for my colour group but whatever – for not having practiced my recorder the night before despite the fact I had been complimented on my performance and no one would have been any the wiser. 

I did it simply because another pupil had been snared for not practicing and the injustice nearly sent me over the edge.

I would regularly decline invitations to slumber parties because I was convinced something would happen to my family If I left for the night. 

As if my chubby presence in teddy bear pyjamas and mismatched socks would protect my home and all who dwelled within against the litany of things I had imagined, but my mind was made up – I'll be staying at home, thanks. The fam need me.

My third class teacher picked up on it – I say, picked up on it but it was as obvious as the glasses perched on my round, worried face – and remarked on it in an end of year report. 

"Niamh tends to be a worrier, and needs a little bit of minding", she wrote.  A little bit of minding? I was in permanent need of a carer. 

I got into the habit of leaving my mother notes outlining that day's biggest concerns.

"I called Sarah's name in the line but she didn't hear me and now what if she remembers and thinks I was talking about her?"

I'd like to say I'm exaggerating but if I'm honest, I'm sugar coating.

I'm hugely grateful that this level of anxiety and the regularity with which it presented itself in my childhood didn't follow me into my adult years, but there's no denying that Niamh from third class still appears every now and again.

And while these new – and often irrational – worries are no longer accompanied by the sound of classroom chitchat or Nickelodeon's canned laughter, they can, at times, feel as all-consuming as they did back then … until I remember I probably just need a little bit of minding.

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If you're known among your friends for stressing about things that they wouldn't bat an eyelid over, you can tell them that it's not your fault and much of it comes down to how your brain is wired.

In an effort to ascertain how different individuals cope with stressful situations, Rajita Sinha, director of the Yale Stress Center, conducted a study which has since been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After recruiting 30 healthy individuals, Rajita and her team set about analysing their individual responses to certain imagery with the help of an fMRI scan session.

Dividing the group in half, the stressed group were shown 60 violent images of people being shot, stabbed and chased while the control group were shown images akin to an IKEA catalogue; chairs, lamps and tables.

Following this procedure, the individuals were then asked to describe their coping mechanisms in times of stress with emphasis on alcohol consumption, eating patterns and verbal disagreements.

The study indicated that during times of stress, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex of the brain –  the region involved in emotional regulation and inner detection of feelings like hunger, craving and want – underwent changes.

According to Time, researchers established that individuals with more neuroflexibility and neuroplasticity in this region were less likely to respond to stress in an emotionally destructive way, but were also more likely to binge drink and emotionally eat in general.

"The greater the magnitude of the change in the neural signal, the more active copers they were," clarified Rjita.

Researchers are currently investigating whether it's possible to increase flexibility in this region, with Rajita explaining: "We have a natural circuitry to try to regain control and to be resilient."

"I think it’s tied to the survival processes that are hardwired, and this is what we’re tapping into," she added.

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Nail biting has long been considered one of the worst bad habits you can develop, but all that might be about to change as a new study has revealed that having a cheeky chew might actually be good for you.

Researchers in New Zealand have found that children who bite their nails or suck their thumbs are less likely to develop allergies than those who don’t because all that under-nail bacteria we’ve been so long warned off actually seems to have a strengthening effect on the body’s immune system.

The investigation – which has been published in the Pediatrics journal – is based on the hygiene hypothesis which states that the more germs and bacteria you are exposed to in childhood, the stronger your immune system is likely to be in adulthood.

The study – which involved 1,000 people – assessed thumb sucking and nail biting habits at ages five, seven, nine and eleven and tested for allergies in 13 and 32-year-olds.

Almost one third of the children involved were found to be regular thumb suckers or nail biters and these children were significantly less likely to be allergic to dust mites and pets in their teens than their non-nail biting counterparts.

This effect was also found to last into adulthood but does not apply to asthma or hay fever at any age.

While there are still obvious disadvantages to biting your nails, the study does show that even the worst of habits can have their benefits.

Feat image: Maxcure Hospitals 

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Ever get the itch to bitch but think it’s better to hold that frustration inside?

Well, according to the experts, from now on it might be better for your health and your friendships to share those not so nice thoughts with others.

According to Marie Claire, social psychologists have discovered that having a good rant can be therapeutic and is essential when it comes to bonding with friends.

Dr Jenny Cole told the mag: “When we talk about someone behind their back, an emotional bond develops with the person we’re speaking to.”

“And that bond is stronger when the information is negative…Because it’s riskier to share a negative view, so the trust between you and that person becomes greater.”

As it turns out, bitching is not a new social phenomenon by any means and actually goes way back to when we first evolved from primates and learned to speak.

Dr Cole believes gossiping replaced grooming (a means by which apes bond) as a key form of social interaction – so the next time you catch yourself having a little rant, you could say it's a natural thing?

But before anyone takes the news to the extreme and goes on a total bitching spree altogether, it might be worth noting that, like anything, when taken too far gossiping can be damaging.  

Oxford Professor Robin Dunbar warns: “Carried to extremes, [bitching] can of course be harmful.”

“But I think its primary function is to maintain the stability of the little community you belong to by establishing a collective view.”

“If so-and-so is behaving in a way you think is wrong, you hope eventually they’ll get to hear of it through the group.”

Sounds like it's time to get the girls over for a little chat!

 

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No matter how much we tell ourselves it's going to be different this time, an evening at a gig ALWAYS turns into one very long and messy night.

And our remedy for alcohol over-indulgence and serious lack of sleep the night before is pretty much always a giant vat of coffee – with extra coffee – the following morning.

But it seems we may be setting ourselves up for a world of health issues if the findings of a recent study conducted at the McGill University Auditory Sciences Laboratory are anything to go by.

The research, which was published by JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery, explored the theory that caffeine can have a negative effect on a person's hearing after they've been exposed to considerable sound levels.

According to NME, the Consequence of Sound study exposed three groups of female albino guinea pigs to either caffeine, 110 decibel "pure tone sound" or both.

 And researchers concluded that the groups who were exposed to both recovered their hearing a lot slower than the sound-only group.

The 15-day study pitched their noise levels between 100 and 120 decibels – the typical level heard at most concerts.

Ladies, it sounds like everyone's gonna have to speak up.

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If your collection of Community Games medals started to peter out once you started rocking your first AA bra, you’re not alone.

While most of us threw ourselves into PE in primary school and considered after-school GAA sessions more craic than we could handle, this enthusiasm abruptly waned as we began navigating the minefield that is puberty.

As friendship groups don’t tend to develop at the same time – Thanks for that, Mother Nature – puberty and its onset felt like a round-the-clock assessment of yourself and your team mates.

While some girls were busy taping their boobs beneath their GAA jerseys, and even more were refusing point-blank to wear small white shorts, others were watching from the sidelines questioning why they were still rocking a cami-top and wondering if cramps really did justify that extra bag of Haribo at the end of a match.

And along with these feelings of awkwardness, flashes of confusion, bouts of self-consciousness and days of discomfort, a huge number of us decided it simply wasn’t worth the effort and ultimately hung up our football boots and downed our camogie sticks.

And nothing’s changing.

According to the most recent Always Confidence and Puberty Survey, 64% of girls will have quit sport by the end of puberty while a staggering 80% admit that they don’t feel they belong in sport – something which former Olympian Sonia O’Sullivan wants to address with the #LikeAGirl campaign.

“For me, it’s about being a role model and trying to inspire girls not to give up,” says Sonia. “We all go through it, but puberty can be such a challenging time for girls, who may feel really self-conscious about lots of things and start thinking you can’t or shouldn’t do certain activities.”

And while, in theory, it sounds totally doable, it’s a lot less clean-cut when you're crippled by feelings of self-doubt and struggle to play to the best of your ability due to physiological changes which only 43 bars of chocolate and a hotwater bottle can fix.

Acknowledging that all of this can wreak havoc on a girl's confidence in both her ability on the pitch and herself, Sonia urges: “Ride the storm. Accept that there will be challenging times when you participate in sport, but remember you WILL get over this hump.”

“Accept that sometimes things will hold you back and you may not be as good as once were, but remember your time will come around again." she urges. "Lower your expectations of yourself for now and remember why you took part to begin with."

In a time when phrases like #FitFam and #LadiesWhoLift have made it into everyday vernacular, we all know the benefits of keeping fit and staying active, but when you’re a 16-year-old girl with a head full of doubts and a body with what seems like a mind of its own, sport mightn’t seem like the answer.

But it seems it actually can be, or will – at the very least – help more than hinder.

“Everybody needs down-time and a release,” Sonia acknowledges. “Participating in sport can give focus, increase confidence and help with doubts or fears.”

And for those ladies who have refused to step back from the sport they love, but resent the lack of interest in female sport, Sonia’s with you on that one.

“I was going through the papers today,” she began. “And even with Wimbledon, there was spread after spread on the mens’, and only a small amount on the women.”

The former Olympian acknowledges that in many sports, women appear to need more than just ability and talent to get the media coverage they deserve, but can’t wait for a time when this is no longer the case.

“Sport is sport," she insisted. "Not mens’ sport or womens’ sport. Sport is sport.”

You heard the woman, and we just wish our 15-year-old selves had too.
 

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The Internet can be a nasty place for women whose bodies don’t abide by “normal” beauty standards and as one endurance athlete recently proved that idea applies to women at both ends of the size spectrum.

By the time Brittany Aäe was 39 weeks pregnant, the fitness coach was fed up of people criticising her toned body.

Taking to Instagram, Brittany posted a photo of her heavily pregnant body beside that of plus-sized model Tess Holliday – who recently gave birth to a baby boy – to highlight that despite their very different body types and weights both women were being subject to abuse for their pregnancy figures.

She wrote: “In this image these two women are at about the same stage in their pregnancies – 39 weeks.”

 

in this image these two women are at about the same stage in their pregnancies – 39 weeks. that is the gorgeous @tessholliday looking boss on the left and me with the defined abs on the right. she is a voluptuous model and I am a sinewy mountain athlete. both of us are shamed for our size – she for her roundness and me for my smallness. both of us are having or had healthy pregnancies as validated by our healthcare providers. both of us are making empowered choices about our personal health. why does our society shame women whose bodies do not adhere to some narrow notion of false normalcy?  let's instead keep our thoughts and words about other people's size to ourselves. pregnancy is tough enough without also being body shamed. #effyourbeautystandards #momshame

A photo posted by Brittany Aäe (@__magneticnorth__) on

“That is the gorgeous @tessholliday looking boss on the left and me with the defined abs on the right. She is a voluptuous model and I am a sinewy mountain athlete.”

“Both of us are shamed for our size – she for her roundness and me for my smallness. Both of us are having or had healthy pregnancies as validated by our healthcare providers. Both of us are making empowered choices about our personal health.”

After pointing out both the similarities and differences between herself and Tess, Brittany – who purposely documented her pregnancy fitness regime for those who were interested in staying in shape through pregnancy – asked why were they being so heavily criticised.

 

throughout pregnancy I was so scared of how my body would look and feel after pregnancy. as a mind-body athlete, my body is my sacred vehicle for gnostic movement, my only home, my treasure. I couldn't bear the thought of ringing in my big 3-0 (two weeks from now!) in a body that didn't feel like home. so, after overthinking it too much this is me two weeks before pregnancy, twenty weeks pregnant, thirty nine weeks pregnant (and actually in labor), and one week postpartum. when I was at the gym each day taking these photos I did the same workout: ten pitches in the 5.10-5.11 range followed by a run. happy to report that, in that last image, I felt STRONGER than in the first image. I am sharing not to brag, to make others feel bad about their own unique journeys, or to put any 'should's out there. I share to dispel fear other pregnant athletes might hold about their own post-pregnancy bodies. please allow these images to broaden your idea of what a 'normal' pregnant and postpartum body looks like. once again I feel at home in my body – except this body just got done blood doping for ten months while wearing a progressive weight vest. I'm coming for you, Bust tha Move! #pregnantathlete

A photo posted by Brittany Aäe (@__magneticnorth__) on

She said: “Why does our society shame women whose bodies do not adhere to some narrow notion of false normalcy?”

“Let's instead keep our thoughts and words about other people's size to ourselves. Pregnancy is tough enough without also being body shamed.”

Brittany – who runs the Magnetic North blog – told Elle she was sick of “the general idea that women’s bodies are somehow public property”.

We think that is something everyone is sick of.  Point well made.

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In today's world everyone seems to be SUPER busy.

Whether it's going to events, the gym, preparing meals, nights out with friends, work – it's like we barely get a minute to ourselves.

Yet, when we are run down or are feeling low, it's hard to know where to put the blame.

A million and one quotes (and now memes) have been written about the value of time and how precious it is. But I think the real question is, how can we make the most of it? Is it running ourselves ragged between work and play or is it taking a small bit of time out for ourselves to recuperate and recover?

Performance vitamin Berocca teamed up with health and wellness expert Pat Divilly to see how people can boost their productivity from day to day.

Pat's outstanding story saw him leap from having to borrow bus fare from his father to return home to Galway and then beginning his business with fitness classes on Barna beach to his current occupation which sees him give motivational speeches all over the world.

We asked Pat what we think are the most important things to consider in our lives, and how we can boost our moods and productivity in just a few simple steps:

 

1. A lot of people work with websites, social media, computers, etc nowadays and find it hard to break away when they have time off? What's your advice for stepping away from your laptop/mobile screen?

Sit in any restaurant and you'll see couples, groups of friends, colleagues or families buried in their phones. We've become so used to constant busyness and distraction that we need to re-train ourselves to be comfortable away from the 'noise'. We all lives busy lives but 10 minutes of time with a loved one without a phone in your hand would mean a lot more than 60 minutes of giving a small fraction of your attention to them. 

In terms of switching off from work in the evening, when I'm working I'm working and when I'm off I'm off. I used to find myself buried in work but in the back of mind thinking about my plans for the evening. Then, when with family and friends I'd often find myself distracted thinking about work I didn't finish. Most of us spend so much time in that grey area that we need to find an off time in the evening where we switch off from work mode. That'll mean less procrastination and distraction during the work day but the off time gives us a goal time to get our work polished off!

 

 

2. One of your tips is to "know what you want from life." For people who might not know, or who are struggling to find their vocation, what road would be the best to go down?

One great way of looking at this is to identify times in your life where you've been at your happiest and seeing what sort of vocation could provide some of these experiences or similar feelings. For example if you're happiest times were travelling and meeting new people is there a way you could pursue these kind of experiences in your work life? 

Most of us spend our lives working crazy hours to have the money to do the things we love in our spare time. So what if you could find work that allowed you to pursue at least some of your passions during your work day?

Another great exercise is to write out in detail what your perfect average day would look like in as much detail as possible. Who would you live with and where? What would you do for work and what type of people would you work with? What would you do in your spare time? This exercise can open people’s eyes to the reality that this 'perfect day' oftentimes isn't as far away as they think and is financially within reach.

 

3. When faced with hard tasks in work, and indeed, life, what's the best way to move forward and face the challenges?

I think in any area of life when things go pear shaped our gut reaction is to focus on the negative aspect of the issue. People often dismiss positive thinking as 'airy fairy' but to me positive thinking is saying- “Yes this has gone very badly, how can I make things better” rather than dwelling on the problem. Whatever we focus on tends to magnify. So if you focus on a loved one’s negative traits you'll only see the negatives in them even though there are plenty of positives. The same with a problem. Focusing on the problem is like looking in the rear view mirror. To move forward you've got to focus on the solution, or the windscreen!

 

 

4. Would you have any advice for people who are unhappy in their job and want to change it?

For those who are unhappy in current job but unsure of their next move I think the best thing someone can do is commit 100% for 30 days to giving their job everything they can. We can get dejected and frustrated with work, go through the motions and focus on the negatives. With work taking up 1/3 of our lives I think we need to do everything in power to enjoy our work day as best we can.

So for 30 days even if unhappy in the workplace focus on being the most helpful, friendly and enthusiastic employee in the job. Giving your job (regardless of how you currently feel about it) everything for 30 days will massively increase your confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.

 

5. What's your top 3 tips for getting through a rough day and finding the purpose behind it all?

Acknowledge and help those around you. Generally when are stressed or miserable it boils down to us being too focused on ourselves and our problems. When we look to help and acknowledge those around us it takes us out of our own heads and gives us a sense of pride. 

A gratitude journal is a great way of shifting your mode from negative to positive. It's easy to see other people’s highlight reel lifestyles on social media and feel hard done by, but when we begin writing down all the things we are grateful for in life it shows us how lucky we really are. 

Along with the gratitude journal it's great to write down a way you could have made the day better and 3 small steps you can take the next day to get you back on track.

 

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Every girl knows prepping for a big event can be a bit of a bit of a trek, so wouldn’t it be great to have some go-to tips to make sure your skin, hair and nails look picture perfect on the big day?

Top model Rosanna Davison believes that outer beauty starts with inner health.

She’s teamed up with one of Ireland’s leading beauty supplement providers Perfectil to give us eight easy follow tips for getting big bash ready.

1. Turn down the heat:

Step down on the heated rollers, tongs and flat irons.  You’ll be amazed at the difference this makes to your hair health.

2. Eat your greens:

If you get a skin breakout before an event, eat lots of dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale to help skin heal and fight infection and inflammation naturally.

3. Keep nails simple: 

Avoid having your cuticles cut or pushed back before a big event to prevent having red, swollen or ragged cuticles.

4. Moisturise:

 Start a really good moisturising routine and include regular massaging of your face, neck and décolletage.

5. Catch them Zzzs:

The simplest and easiest way to effectively prepare for a big event is to ensure your diet contains lots of beautiful skin foods, to stay hydrated, exercise and get lots of sleep.

6. Supplements:

Invest in and incorporate a really good supplement such as Perfectil into your beauty routine.  Perfectil has been developed based on 40 years of scientific research to provide beauty within.

7. Hydrate:

Combat pre-event stress with exercise and down time. Increase water consumption and cut down on processed, refined and deep-fried foods.

8. Carrots are key:

Add carrots and other nail nutritious foods that are rich with vitamins into your diet. Vitamins are crucial for strong and healthy nail growth.

 

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