Resistance to amikacin and isepamicin in rabbits with experimental endocarditis of an aac(6')-Ib-bearing strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae susceptible in vitro.

The effect of production of the aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(6')-IB] in Klebsiella pneumoniae on the outcome of amikacin and isepamicin treatment of rabbits with experimental endocarditis was assessed. Isogenic high-level (Hi) and low-level (Lo) AAC(6')-Ib-producing transconjugants (T) were constructed from clinical isolates with plasmid-borne resistance determinants. The MICs of amikacin and isepamicin, their bactericidal effects, and AAC(6')-Ib production appeared to be well correlated among the clinical isolates and the transconjugants. The susceptibility data determined in vitro, with MICs (in micrograms per milliliter) of amikacin and isepamicin for LoT and HiT of 4 and 0.5 and 32 and 8, respectively, were, however, not predictive of the in vivo efficacies of the drugs. While amikacin and isepamicin caused reductions in bacterial densities (log10 CFU per gram of cardiac vegetation) of 5.1 and 4.8 of the fully susceptible recipient strain (MICs of amikacin and isepamicin, 0.5 and 0.25, respectively), the reductions in density of both LoT and HiT caused by the two drugs (2.7 and 2.4 and 2.9 and 2.2, respectively) were only marginally significant, if at all. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) when the reductions in density of LoT and HiT by either drug were compared or when the efficacies of the two drugs in reducing the density of any strain [non-AAC(6')-producing, LoT, or HiT] were compared (P > 0.5). It is concluded that AAC(6')-Ib in K.pneumoniae, even when produced at a low level and not conferring resistance to amikacin and isepamicin in vitro, compromises the efficacies of both drugs in vivo and possibly does so beyond the experimental model studied here.

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C3 Promotes Clearance of Klebsiella pneumoniae by A549 Epithelial Cells

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.72.3.1767-1774.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 1767-1774 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Beatriz de Astorza ◽

Guadalupe Cortés ◽

Catalina Crespí ◽

Carles Saus ◽

José María Rojo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cells ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Complement Components ◽

Innate Defense ◽

Alveolar Epithelial

ABSTRACT The airway epithelium represents a primary site for contact between microbes and their hosts. To assess the role of complement in this event, we studied the interaction between the A549 cell line derived from human alveolar epithelial cells and a major nosocomial pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae, in the presence of serum. In vitro, we found that C3 opsonization of poorly encapsulated K. pneumoniae clinical isolates and an unencapsulated mutant enhanced dramatically bacterial internalization by A549 epithelial cells compared to highly encapsulated clinical isolates. Local complement components (either present in the human bronchoalveolar lavage or produced by A549 epithelial cells) were sufficient to opsonize K. pneumoniae. CD46 could competitively inhibit the internalization of K. pneumoniae by the epithelial cells, suggesting that CD46 is a receptor for the binding of complement-opsonized K. pneumoniae to these cells. We observed that poorly encapsulated strains appeared into the alveolar epithelial cells in vivo but that (by contrast) they were completely avirulent in a mouse model of pneumonia compared to the highly encapsulated strains. Our results show that bacterial opsonization by complement enhances the internalization of the avirulent microorganisms by nonphagocytic cells such as A549 epithelial cells and allows an efficient innate defense.

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Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates: In Vivo Virulence Assessment in Galleria mellonella and Potential Therapeutics by Polycationic Oligoethyleneimine

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10010056 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 56

Author(s):

Dalila Mil-Homens ◽

Maria Martins ◽

José Barbosa ◽

Gabriel Serafim ◽

Maria J. Sarmento ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

In Vitro Models ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

In Vivo Model ◽

Virulence Potential ◽

Hospital Acquired

Klebsiella pneumoniae, one of the most common pathogens found in hospital-acquired infections, is often resistant to multiple antibiotics. In fact, multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae producing KPC or OXA-48-like carbapenemases are recognized as a serious global health threat. In this sense, we evaluated the virulence of K. pneumoniae KPC(+) or OXA-48(+) aiming at potential antimicrobial therapeutics. K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and the expanded-spectrum oxacillinase OXA-48 isolates were obtained from patients treated in medical care units in Lisbon, Portugal. The virulence potential of the K. pneumonia clinical isolates was tested using the Galleria mellonella model. For that, G. mellonella larvae were inoculated using patients KPC(+) and OXA-48(+) isolates. Using this in vivo model, the KPC(+) K. pneumoniae isolates showed to be, on average, more virulent than OXA-48(+). Virulence was found attenuated when a low bacterial inoculum (one magnitude lower) was tested. In addition, we also report the use of a synthetic polycationic oligomer (L-OEI-h) as a potential antimicrobial agent to fight infectious diseases caused by MDR bacteria. L-OEI-h has a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and exerts a significantly bactericidal activity within the first 5-30 min treatment, causing lysis of the cytoplasmic membrane. Importantly, the polycationic oligomer showed low toxicity against in vitro models and no visible cytotoxicity (measured by survival and health index) was noted on the in vivo model (G. mellonella), thus L-OEI-h is foreseen as a promising polymer therapeutic for the treatment of MDR K. pneumoniae infections.

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External PS in Sickle RBC: Relationships among Aminophospholipid Translocase (APLT), Phospholipid Scramblase (PLSCR), Cell Maturity, and Cell Density.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v110.11.148.148 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 110 (11) ◽

pp. 148-148

Author(s):

Latorya E. Arnold ◽

Mary B. Palascak ◽

Clinton H. Joiner ◽

Robert S. Franco

Keyword(s):

Annexin V ◽

Type I ◽

Type Ii ◽

Color Flow ◽

Low Level ◽

Aminophospholipid Translocase ◽

Phospholipid Scramblase ◽

High Level

Abstract External phosphatidylserine (PS) is present on some sickle RBC and may contribute to thrombogenesis, endothelial adhesion, and shortened RBC lifespan. Phospholipid scramblase (PLSCR) disrupts phospholipid (PL) asymmetry by causing nonspecific PL equilibration across the membrane. Aminophospholipid translocase (APLT) maintains PL asymmetry by returning externalized PS to the inner membrane leaflet. It has been proposed that both APLT inhibition and PLSCR activation are required for PS externalization. Sickle RBC with low level external PS (Type I PS+) are present in cells of all densities and include some reticulocytes. Sickle RBC with high external PS (Type II PS+) are primarily found in the dense fraction. Type II cells are thought to be more important because: the high level of external PS should have greater consequence; high level external PS occurs primarily in pathologically dehydrated sickle RBC; and low level external PS appears to be physiological in immature RBC. We have previously shown that dense, dehydrated sickle RBC, including the small number of dense transferrin receptor positive (TfR+) reticulocytes, have markedly inhibited APLT. In the current studies, we examined the relationships among external PS, APLT, PLSCR, and density in mature RBC and TfR+ reticulocytes using 3-color flow cytometry. APLT and PLSCR activities were assayed using fluorescent PL analogues (NBD-PS and NBD-PC, respectively), and expressed as the fraction of probe internalized. External PS was measured with Annexin V-PE and TfR+ reticulocytes were identified with anti-TfR-PE/Cy5. PS+ cells had lower APLT activity compared to PS- cells that did not reach significance for n=3 (NBD-PS internalization fraction for PS-: 0.586±0.053; Type I PS+: 0.517±0.158, Type II PS+: 0.523±0.033). PS- sickle RBC had a uniformly low PLSCR activity similar to normal RBC (NBD-PC internalization fractions ∼ 0.1). In mature sickle RBC, PLSCR was more active in PS+ cells (PS-: 0.097±0.096; Type I PS+: 0.163±0.070, Type II PS+: 0.248±0.043; n=3; PS- vs Type I PS+: p=0.06; PS- vs Type II PS+: p=0.04; Type I versus Type II: p=0.03). TfR+ reticulocytes had increased APLT and PLSCR activity compared to mature sickle RBC, but there was no apparent relationship between PLSCR and external PS. Since dense sickle RBC had markedly inhibited APLT, we evaluated the relationship between dehydration and APLT activity. Dehydration of AA RBC from an MCHC of 35.6±2.2 to 49.2±2.0 g/dL inhibited APLT (from 0.484±0.068 to 0.301±0.076; n=7, p= 0.01). Dehydration of SS RBC from an MCHC of 34.8±3.5 to 50.1±3.9 g/dL also inhibited APLT (from 0.460±0.060 to 0.361±0.047; n=3, p=0.006), but not as low as in SS RBC dehydrated in vivo (0.222±0.036 at 44.7±5.6 g/dL; n=4, p=0.007 vs. SS RBC dehydrated in vitro). Rehydration of AA and SS RBC that had been dehydrated in vitro reversed APLT inhibition. However, APLT activity was not reversed upon rehydration of sickle RBC dehydrated in vivo. In summary, our data show that: many dense sickle RBC with significantly inhibited APLT are PS-, indicating that APLT inhibition alone does not result in PS externalization; dehydration contributes to, but is not entirely responsible for, the APLT inhibition seen in dense sickle RBC; and PS+ sickle RBC have increased PLSCR activity.

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Development of Resistance during Antimicrobial Therapy Caused by Insertion Sequence Interruption of Porin Genes

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.43.4.937 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 937-939 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Santiago Hernández-Allés ◽

Vicente J. Benedí ◽

Luis Martínez-Martínez ◽

Álvaro Pascual ◽

Alicia Aguilar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Antimicrobial Therapy ◽

Insertion Sequence ◽

Common Type ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Insertion Sequences ◽

Development Of Resistance

ABSTRACT We have demonstrated by using an in vitro approach that interruption of the OmpK36 porin gene by insertion sequences (ISs) is a common type of mutation that causes loss of porin expression and increased resistance to cefoxitin in Klebsiella pneumoniae. This mechanism also operates in vivo: of 13 porin-deficient cefoxitin-resistant clinical isolates ofK. pneumoniae, 4 presented ISs in their ompK36gene.

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Efficacy of vancomycin and teicoplanin alone and in combination with streptomycin in experimental, low-level vancomycin-resistant, VanB-type Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.40.1.55 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 55-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

D P Nicolau ◽

M N Marangos ◽

C H Nightingale ◽

K B Patel ◽

B W Cooper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enterococcus Faecalis ◽

Resistant Strain ◽

Low Level ◽

Vancomycin Resistant ◽

Low Levels ◽

High Level ◽

Isogenic Strains ◽

Level Resistance

The efficacy of vancomycin (VM) and teicoplanin (TE), alone and in combination with streptomycin (SM), against enterococci that express low-level VanB-type VM resistance was investigated in experimental endocarditis using isogenic strains of Enterococcus faecalis susceptible to glycopeptides and aminoglycosides or inducibly resistant to low levels of VM (MIC = 16 micrograms/ml). VM was significantly less active against the resistant strain than against the susceptible strain, establishing that low-level VanB-type VM resistance can influence therapeutic efficacy. By contrast, TE had equally good activity against both strains. VM or TE combined with SM was synergistic and bactericidal against the resistant strain in vitro. While both combinations were efficient in reducing bacterial density in vivo, TE plus SM was significantly superior to VM plus SM if valve sterilization was considered. These data suggest that despite the presence of low-level VanB-type resistance, combination therapy with a glycopeptide and SM (and presumably other aminoglycosides to which there is not high-level resistance) will nevertheless provide effective bactericidal activity.

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Heterogeneity among Isolates Reveals that Fitness in Low Oxygen Correlates withAspergillus fumigatusVirulence

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.01515-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Caitlin H. Kowalski ◽

Sarah R. Beattie ◽

Kevin K. Fuller ◽

Elizabeth A. McGurk ◽

Yi-Wei Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽

Experimental Evolution ◽

Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Single Strain ◽

Hypoxia Exposure ◽

Significant Difference

ABSTRACTPrevious work has shown that environmental and clinical isolates ofAspergillus fumigatusrepresent a diverse population that occupies a variety of niches, has extensive genetic diversity, and exhibits virulence heterogeneity in a number of animal models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). However, mechanisms explaining differences in virulence amongA. fumigatusisolates remain enigmatic. Here, we report a significant difference in virulence of two common lab strains, CEA10 and AF293, in the murine triamcinolone immunosuppression model of IPA, in which we previously identified severe low oxygen microenvironments surrounding fungal lesions. Therefore, we hypothesize that the ability to thrive within these lesions of low oxygen promotes virulence ofA. fumigatusin this model. To test this hypothesis, we performedin vitrofitness andin vivovirulence analyses in the triamcinolone murine model of IPA with 14 environmental and clinical isolates ofA. fumigatus. Among these isolates, we observed a strong correlation between fitness in low oxygenin vitroand virulence. In further support of our hypothesis, experimental evolution of AF293, a strain that exhibits reduced fitness in low oxygen and reduced virulence in the triamcinolone model of IPA, results in a strain (EVOL20) that has increased hypoxia fitness and a corresponding increase in virulence. Thus, the ability to thrive in low oxygen correlates with virulence ofA. fumigatusisolates in the context of steroid-mediated murine immunosuppression.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatusoccupies multiple environmental niches, likely contributing to the genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity among isolates. Despite reports of virulence heterogeneity, pathogenesis studies often utilize a single strain for the identification and characterization of virulence and immunity factors. Here, we describe significant variation betweenA. fumigatusisolates in hypoxia fitness and virulence, highlighting the advantage of including multiple strains in future studies. We also illustrate that hypoxia fitness correlates strongly with increased virulence exclusively in the nonleukopenic murine triamcinolone immunosuppression model of IPA. Through an experimental evolution experiment, we observe that chronic hypoxia exposure results in increased virulence ofA. fumigatus. We describe here the first observation of a model-specific virulence phenotype correlative within vitrofitness in hypoxia and pave the way for identification of hypoxia-mediated mechanisms of virulence in the fungal pathogenA. fumigatus.

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Low-Level Resistance to Rifampin in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.47.3.863-868.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 863-868 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Patricia Stutzmann Meier ◽

Silvia Utz ◽

Suzanne Aebi ◽

Kathrin Mühlemann

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Point Mutations ◽

Low Level ◽

Development Of Resistance ◽

Rifampin Resistance ◽

High Level ◽

Tissue Compartments ◽

Level Resistance

ABSTRACT Rifampin is recommended for combination therapy of meningitis due to β-lactam-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. High-level rifampin resistance (MIC, ≥4 mg/liter) has been mapped to point mutations in clusters I and III of rpoB of the pneumococcus. The molecular basis of low-level resistance (MICs, ≥0.5 and <4 mg/liter) was analyzed. Spontaneous mutants of clinical pneumococcal isolates were selected on Columbia sheep blood agar plates containing rifampin at 0.5, 4, 10, or 50 mg/liter. Low-level resistance could be assigned to mutations in cluster II (I545N, I545L). Sensitive (MIC, <0.048 mg/liter) wild-type strains acquired low-level resistance at a rate approximately 10 times higher than that at which they acquired high-level resistance (average mutation frequencies, 2.4 × 10−7 for low-level resistance versus 2.9 × 10−8 for high-level resistance [P < 0.0001]). In second-step experiments, the frequencies of mutations from low- to high-level resistance were over 10 times higher than the frequencies of mutations from susceptibility to high-level resistance (average mutation frequencies, 7.2 × 10−7 versus 5.0 × 10−8 [P < 0.001]). Mutants with low-level resistance were stable upon passage. Sequencing of a clinical isolate with low-level resistance (MIC, 0.5 mg/liter) revealed a Q150R mutation upstream of cluster I. The frequencies of mutations to high-level resistance for this strain were even higher than the rates observed for the in vitro mutants. Therefore, a resistance-mediating mutation located outside clusters I, II, and III has been described for the first time in the pneumococcus. In vitro low-level rifampin resistance in S. pneumoniae could be mapped to cluster II of rpoB. Mutants of pneumococcus with low-level resistance may be selected in vivo during therapy in tissue compartments with low antibiotic concentrations and play a role in the development of resistance.

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Reduction of The Pyruvate Decarboxylase Activity Improves Isobutanol Production By Klebsiella Pneumoniae

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1155955/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lin Shu ◽

Jinjie Gu ◽

Qinghui Wang ◽

Shaoqi Sun ◽

Youtian Cui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Single Point ◽

Pyruvate Decarboxylase ◽

Catalytic Efficiency ◽

Decarboxylase Activity ◽

Enzymatic Reactions ◽

Substrate Conversion ◽

High Level

Abstract Background Klebsiella pneumoniae contains an endogenous isobutanol synthesis pathway. ipdC, annotated as an indole-3-pyruvate decarboxylase (Kp-IpdC), was identified to catalyze the formation of isobutyraldehyde from 2-ketoisovalerate. Results Compared with 2-ketoisovalerate decarboxylase from Lactococcus lactis (KivD), a decarboxylase commonly used in artificial isobutanol synthesis, Kp-IpdC has an 2.8-fold lower Km for 2-ketoisovalerate, leading to higher isobutanol production without induction. However, high level expression of ipdC by induction resulted in a low isobutanol titer. In vitro enzymatic reactions showed that Kp-IpdC exhibits promiscuous pyruvate decarboxylase activity, which adversely consume the available pyruvate precursor for isobutanol synthesis. To address this we have engineered Kp-IpdC to reduce pyruvate decarboxylase activity. From computational modeling we identified 10 residues surrounding the active site for mutagenesis. Ten designs consisting of eight single-point mutants and two double-mutants were selected for exploration. Mutants L546W and T290L showed 5.1% and 22.1% of catalytic efficiency on pyruvate, which were then expressed in K. pneumoniae for in vivo test. Isobutanol production by K. pneumoniae T290L was 25% higher than the control strain, and a final titer of 5.5 g/L isobutanol was obtained with a substrate conversion ratio of 0.16 mol/mol glucose. Conclusions This research provides a new way to improve the efficiency of the biological route of isobutanol production.

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Downmodulation of IL-8 receptors, type A and type B, on human lung neutrophils in vivo

AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajplung.1997.273.3.l618 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 273 (3) ◽

pp. L618-L625 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

K. Soejima ◽

S. Fujishima ◽

H. Nakamura ◽

Y. Waki ◽

M. Nakamura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Peripheral Blood ◽

Type A ◽

Type B ◽

Low Level ◽

Blood Neutrophils ◽

Vitro Analysis ◽

High Level ◽

In Vitro Analysis

We examined the expression of interleukin (IL)-8 receptors (Rs), type A (IL-8-RA) and type B (IL-8-RB), on peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid neutrophils; we also examined IL-8 and other chemoattractants in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of patients with chronic lower respiratory tract infection (CLI) to elucidate the in vivo regulation of IL-8Rs. Neutrophils were stained with monoclonal antibodies specific for IL-8-RA and IL-8-RB. We detected higher levels of IL-8 (81.6 +/- 25.4 ng/ml, mean +/- SE), leukotriene (LT) B4, and IL-1 beta in the ELF of the CLI patients than in their serum (P < 0.05). The expression of IL-8Rs on BAL neutrophils was significantly lower than that on peripheral blood neutrophils (P < 0.01 for both). In vitro analysis showed that low-level IL-8 (50 ng/ml) alone did not affect IL-8R expression but that it was downregulated by high-level IL-8 (500 ng/ml) alone and by low-level IL-8 in combination with LTB4 or IL-1 beta. Staurosporine reduced the downmodulation by low-level IL-8 plus LTB4 or IL-1 beta but not by high-level IL-8 alone. We speculate that pulmonary IL-8-RA and IL-8-RB may have been downmodulated by the combined effect of local chemoattractants through, in part, a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism.

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Characterization of Mutations in therpoB Gene That Confer Rifampin Resistance inStaphylococcus aureus

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.42.10.2590 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 42 (10) ◽

pp. 2590-2594 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

Hélène Aubry-Damon ◽

Claude-James Soussy ◽

Patrice Courvalin

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Population Distribution ◽

Resistance Mechanism ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

One Step ◽

Single Base Pair ◽

Rifampin Resistance ◽

High Level

Mutations in the rifampin resistance-determining (Rif) regions of the rpoB gene of Staphylococcus aureus mutants obtained during therapy or in vitro were analyzed by gene amplification and sequencing. Each of the resistant clinical isolates, including five nonrelated clones and two strains isolated from the same patient, and of the 10 in vitro mutants had a single base pair change that resulted in an amino acid substitution in the β subunit of RNA polymerase. Eight mutational changes at seven positions were found in cluster I of the central Rif region. Certain substitutions (His481/Tyr and Asp471/Tyr [S. aureuscoordinates]) were present in several mutants. Substitutions Gln468/Arg, His481/Tyr, and Arg484/His, which conferred high-level rifampin resistance, were identical or in the same codon as those described in other bacterial genera, whereas Asp550/Gly has not been reported previously. Substitutions at codon 477 conferred high- or low-level resistance, depending on the nature of the new amino acid. The levels of resistance of in vivo and one-step in vitro mutants carrying identical mutations were similar, suggesting that no other resistance mechanism was present in the clinical isolates. On the basis of these data and the population distribution of more than 4,000 clinical S. aureusisolates, we propose ≤0.5 and ≥8 μg/ml as new breakpoints for the clinical categorization of this species relative to rifampin.

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