Category Archives: Student Opportunities

ORISE Fellow, CDC – Division of Overdose Prevention

 

Description

A research opportunity is currently available with the Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP), within the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Joining DOP, the selected participant will be a part of the Overdose Mortality Team training in surveillance and project management activities. The participant will train under CDC staff on the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program. OD2A in part works to improve the timeliness and completeness of reporting fatal overdose data, and to ensure that data are used to inform prevention activities. 

For fatal overdoses, states are required to enter abstracted death certificate and coroner and medical examiner reports on unintentional or undetermined intent overdose deaths into the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) which leverages the web-based platform used for the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The SUDORS coding manual provides states with technical assistance on how to code drug overdose specific variables in the injury and death, circumstances, overdose, and toxicology tabs. States can submit coding questions to the Overdose Surveillance help desk email address which is monitored by the Overdose Mortality Team. States are required to submit comprehensive fatal overdose data to CDC twice a year, with data submission timelines varying depending on Tier.

Job Duties

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will have the opportunity to train in three or more of the following, depending on the specific skill set and interests of the participant:

  • Train to organize and respond to state technical assistance inquires for fatal drug overdoses, including documenting questions and responses provided through the Overdose Surveillance help desk
  • Conduct data quality assurance activities for fatal drug overdose, and contribute to updates to the SUDORS coding manual
  • Train to conduct manual reviews of narrative fields within SUDORS to aid in classification of, for example, substance type and source
  • Analyze data for web reports; review/revise current web content and engage in active discussion with key partners under CDC mentors
  • Learn how to conduct literature reviews on overdose-related topics
  • Participate in the development of summary and state-specific fact sheets and/or data visualizations based on SUDORS data
  • Contribute to the development of manuscripts, surveillance reports, and/or data briefs
  • Learn how to coordinate SUDORS workgroup meetings with states

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree and will reach completion by the start date of the appointment. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

  • Experience or knowledge regarding public health, epidemiology, and surveillance
  • Experience or knowledge related to data analysis, interpretation and visualization
  • Experience or knowledge with statistical analysis software such as with the application of SAS or other relevant platforms for large complex, database management systems
  • Experience or knowledge with data visualization software such as Power BI
  • Experience or knowledge performing statistical and epidemiological analysis of complex datasets and disseminating results broadly
  • Ability to collaborate with other scientific and professional staff

Other Information

  • Application Deadline: April 28, 2020 3:00PM (*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis) 
  • Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 26, 2020
  • The initial appointment can be up to one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC contingent on the availability of funds.
  • The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
  • Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program.
  • The appointment is full-time at CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
  • Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

  • An application
  • Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
  • A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
  • One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.

Click here to learn more about the position and apply online. 

If you have questions, send an email to ORISE [dot] CDC [dot] NCIPC [at] orau [dot] org. Please include the reference code (CDC-NCIPC-2020-0083) for this opportunity in your email.


Postdoctoral Fellowship in MCH and Adolescent Health, UC Berkley

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Technology and Innovation in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health

Description:

The Wallace Center for Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health is seeking an interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellow to engage in academic research at the intersection of technology, innovation, and reproductive health. The Wallace Center is a research and training program that seeks to harness innovative technologies, including sensors, apps, and wearables for research and behavior change; health information-seeking patterns and online health resources; and web-based big data, as a means of improving research and reducing MCAH disparities.

We welcome applicants from diverse academic backgrounds, including engineering, data science, user innovation, computational biology, health technology, or implementation science, who may have experience in technology and innovation and wish to gain specific training in the fields of MCAH or reproductive health. Projects that the postdoctoral scholar could be involved in include: 1) epidemiologic research using big data from a menstrual tracking app to investigate factors associated with cycle irregularity in adolescents and 2) evaluation of a health plan-based prenatal care digital platform on user engagement, access to community resources, and pregnancy health. The postdoctoral fellow would also have the opportunity to develop their own research projects.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A PhD or equivalent from a recognized university in one of the following areas: Public Health,
  • Epidemiology, Data Science, Community Health Sciences, Engineering, Computational Biology, or related field
  • Interest in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, with an interdisciplinary perspective
  • Excellent quantitative skills
  • Superior academic performance and a strong publication record
  • Ability to be self-directed with broadly defined limits on assignments
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Demonstrated ability to interact efficiently with diverse people in a highly multidisciplinary environment.
  • Applicants must be US citizens or hold Permanent Resident status

Additional skills may include:

  • Experience analyzing big data (such as from apps, social networks, or search engines)
  • Familiarity with evaluating programs, interventions, or technologies
  • A background in reproductive health, women’s health, or child and adolescent health

Position Details and Benefits:

This two-year fellowship would begin in Summer or Fall 2020 and supports salary, health insurance, research expenses, and travel to attend professional meetings. Successful completion of the fellowship entails meeting learning objectives set by the fellow and faculty mentor. The University of California offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, accidental death and dismemberment, short term disability, voluntary long term supplemental disability and life insurance. Salary scales for postdoctoral fellows are set by the University of California Office of the President, more information can be found here. The University also has a number of policies and programs to support employees balance work and family. There is specific interest in recruiting individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds in addition to disadvantaged backgrounds.

How to Apply

  • Applicants should prepare a CV and a letter of research interest. Email both documents to mcahprogram [at] berkeley [dot] edu with the subject line “Wallace Post Doc App”.
  • Start Date: Summer or Fall 2020
  • For more information about the School of Public Health click here.
  • More information about the Wallace Center can be found here. 

*Applications accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled

 


Postdoctoral Fellowship in Adolescent Health, UC Berkley

Description 

The School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley welcomes applications for a postdoctoral scholar employee in the Community Health Sciences Division within the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program to engage in academic research at the forefront of pubertal timing and multi-dimensional risk factors for early puberty. Proficiency in analyzing large datasets is desired. This research project focuses on establishing normative pubertal timing trajectories for US adolescents by sex, race/ethnicity and BMI, identifying sex- specific modifiable risk factors that can serve as targets for intervention strategies in high-risk groups, and examining associations between early life psychosocial, nutritional, and neighborhood factors and pubertal timing using a large, diverse cohort of boys and girls from a large integrated health system. There is also an opportunity to examine health and mental health outcomes related to pubertal timing. Applicants should have strong analytic skills and a demonstrated background in quantitative psychology, epidemiology, biostatistics or a related field.

The initial appointment, limited to US citizens, is for two years. Salary scales for postdoctoral fellows are set by the University of California Office of the President, more information can be found here, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The University of California offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, accidental death and dismemberment, short term disability, voluntary long term supplemental disability and life insurance. The University also has a number of policies and programs to support employees as they balance work and family.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

  • A PhD or equivalent from a recognized university in one of the following areas: Psychology, Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Behavioral Health Sciences
  • Excellent quantitative skills
  • Superior academic performance and a strong publication record
  • Ability to be self-directed with broadly defined limits on assignments
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Demonstrated ability to interact efficiently with diverse people in a highly
  • multidisciplinary environment.

Related Skills May Include

  • Familiarity with neighborhood measurement as well as relevant databases
  • Statistical proficiency in survival analyses, SEM, causal inference or longitudinal modeling, hierarchical statistical methods
  • A background in child or adolescent development.

How to Apply

*Applications accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled


Call for Student Submissions, Preventing Chronic Disease Journal

Description

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is looking for students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels, and recent post-graduates to submit papers relevant to the prevention, screening, surveillance, and population-based intervention of chronic diseases, including but not limited to arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Accepted papers will become part of PCD’s special Student Research Collection.

PCD’s 5 primary goals for this publication opportunity for students and post-graduates are to:

  • Provide applicants with an opportunity to become familiar with a journal’s manuscript submission requirements and peer-review process;
  • Assist applicants to connect their knowledge and training on conducting quality research with a journal’s publication expectations;
  • Develop applicants’ research and scientific writing skills to become producers of knowledge rather than consumers of knowledge;
  • Provide applicants with an opportunity to become first author on a peer-reviewed paper;
  • Promote supportive, respectful, and mutually beneficial author―mentor relationships that result in strengthening applicants’ ability to generate and submit future scholarly manuscripts.

Submission Requirements

PCD uses PCD ScholarOne Manuscriptsexternal icon for manuscript submission and tracking. Before submitting your manuscript, please read the instructions below in addition to the information provided on the PCD website under Manuscript Requirements. 

Eligibility

  • Student applicants must be currently enrolled in a high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree program. Post-graduate applicants must have received their graduate degree within the past 12 months and be participating in a medical residency, post-doctoral fellowship, or similar training program under the supervision of a mentor, advisor, or principal investigator.
  • Applicants should meet the standard to serve as first author. The first author is the person who conducted or led the topic being presented and prepared the first draft of the manuscript. The first author must also ensure that all other authors meet the criteria for authorship.
  • Applicants and coauthors are expected to demonstrate the highest ethical standards in submitting scholarly work to the journal for consideration. Applicants and coauthors should become familiar with the journal’s Editorial Policy.
  • Applicants (not mentors) must serve as the corresponding author for manuscripts submitted in conjunction with the student research collection. No exceptions will be allowed.
  • Manuscripts must report on research done while in one of the qualifying student or post-graduate categories listed above.
  • The research must have been completed within the last 12 months.
  • Manuscripts must not be published previously or submitted elsewhere for publication.
  • Manuscripts must represent original research submitted as Original Research or GIS Snapshots article types. Other article types will not be considered. For a detailed explanation, see information on Original Research and GIS Snapshots articles on PCD’s Types of Articles page.
  • Students and recent post-graduates must submit a cover letter indicating their interest in being considered for the Student Paper Collection and the name and contact information of their advisor. The cover letter must also indicate current level of academic enrollment: high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree, or applicable post-graduate residency, fellowship, or other training program. In addition, applicants should address all routinely required disclosures in the cover letter. Learn more about general cover letter requirements on PCD’s How to Submit a Manuscript
  • Applicants must provide a letter of recommendation from their advisor confirming either the student’s enrollment in a degree program or the post-graduate candidate’s residency or fellowship. The advisor must confirm that the research was conducted while in training under the advisor’s supervision. The advisor’s letter must confirm that the applicant conceptualized the analysis and was the primary author of the manuscript. The advisor’s letter must also acknowledge that the advisor recognizes that no one other than the applicant can serve as corresponding author.
  • Applicants should submit the cover letter and advisor letter when they submit the manuscript.

Deadline

Manuscripts must be received electronically no later than 5:00 PM EST on Friday, December 11, 2020.

Click here to learn more about this opportunity! 


Practicum Opportunity, Clarkston Community Health Center

Job Title: Research Associate

Position Description: 

Clarkston Community Health Center (CCHC) is a community clinic that serves uninsured and underinsured individuals. It is located in Clarkston, GA and is completely volunteer run. The clinic received a grant to conduct point of care (POC) testing, where  basic clinical labs can be conducted in house rather than being sent to an external lab.

The incumbent will be responsible for conducting qualitative research investigating patient perceptions of POC. He/She will recruit patients, conduct semi-structured interviews, transcribe and conduct qualitative analysis. After finalizing the results, the incumbent will draft a manuscript and submit to a peer reviewed publication.

Click here to learn more about the CCHC!

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Personable individual who can connect with individuals from a variety of cultures. Must have taken a qualitative research methods course or be enrolled.
  • Preferred Qualifications: 1-2 years experience in conducting interviews. 

Other Information 

  • Hours per week: 20hrs for 9 months
  • Compensation: Can count towards practicum hours.
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Application Deadline: April 1, 2020  
  • Contact Information: Kathryn Meagley, MPH (meagleyk [at] gmail [dot] com)

Electron Microscopy Archival Assistant Intern (Volunteer), CDC

This is an unpaid internship. Applicants must be current students. Program requirements listed on page 3. This position is located in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Infectious Disease Pathology Branch (IDPB).

Education Requirements:

Interest in biology and/or life science preferred, but not required; college or graduate

Description:

IDPB has a large collection of infectious disease specimens embedded for electron microscopy and associated photographic negatives dating back to the late 1960’s. The specimen logbooks associated with this collection need to be carefully transcribed into an electronic format for long-term archival storage and to improve access to and searchability of the information collected in these logbooks. Two laboratory assistants are needed to transcribe the logbooks, organize and name the files appropriately, and to sort through micrographs and negatives.

Duties:

  • Become familiar with electron microscopy specimen logbooks and organizational system.
  • Transcribe specimen logbooks into an electronic format
  • Organize and name files appropriately
  • Work with the Electron Microscopy unit of IDPB to ensure archival system meets branch needs.
  • As needed, sort through micrographs and associated negatives
  • Must be detail-oriented with excellent communication skills.

Requirements:

  • Good organizational skills
  • Attention to detail when working with numbers, including lists
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Excel
  • Good oral and written communication skills
  • Adherence to laboratory safety practices
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, highly time-sensitive environment, while ensuring high quality and efficiency
  • Ability to work well independently and as part of a team
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other professionals within CDC and with external organizations
  • Ability to manage multiple projects with varying tasking, short turnaround times, and meet or exceed all deadlines
  • Ability to prioritize work
  • Must possess excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to efficiently use Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access), and SharePoint
  • Demonstrates initiative on assignments and projects, and proactively tackles responsibilities
  • Ability to produce accurate documents and materials with little or no supervision

Work Hours:

Students must be able to work at least 10 hours a week in the CDC Office. The work schedule for this position is flexible and will be discussed and approved by both parties.

Applications:

Submit resumes via email to the CDC Human Resources Customer Service Helpdesk at HRCS [at] cdc [dot] gov with the subject “SWEP Student Volunteer Program – Electron Microscopy Archival Assistant Intern” no later than 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Students selected for interviews will be contacted, and the student(s) selected for participation will be required to complete additional paperwork.


Epidemiologist Research Associate, Clinton Health Access Initiative

Overview

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org. 

Malaria is one of the world’s most important causes of illness, death, and lost economic productivity. Over the past decade, dramatic increases in donor funding have facilitated scale-up of effective interventions to prevent, diagnosis, and treat malaria. This investment has successfully reduced the burden of malaria in many settings, and some countries have begun planning to eliminate it altogether. CHAI’s global malaria program provides direct management and technical support to countries around the globe to strengthen their malaria programs and reduce the burden of this preventable, treatable disease.

In parts of West Africa, CHAI provides technical and managerial assistance to national malaria programs in order to accelerate policy changes, ensure sufficient supply commodities, generate demand among health providers and patients and ensure adequate monitoring and troubleshooting mechanisms are in place to track progress. In addition, CHAI is also supporting national malaria programs to identify the bottlenecks and potential solutions in surveillance systems, specifically to improve the collection, reporting, analysis and use of data for programmatic decision-making. Benin and Burkina Faso are the newest additions to CHAI’s portfolio in the region, where initial efforts will be focused on conducting country-specific surveillance landscaping assessments. Similar assessments are expected to be conducted in two additional countries and therefore a total of four countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Overview of Role

  • CHAI is seeking a highly motivated individual with strong public health experience and analytical skills to support the expanded surveillance and analytics scope of work across West Africa, with an initial focus on Benin and Burkina Faso. The project will initially focus on the design and implementation of a landscaping assessment to identify of critical technical, operational and financial bottlenecks in surveillance (data collection, reporting, analysis and feedback) at all levels of the health system (health facility up to national) in 2-4 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and provide prioritized recommendations to address these gaps.
  • Specific activities will include: desktop review of relevant policy, scientific and grey literature, qualitative assessments of surveillance system performance through interviews with key stakeholders at national and local level, as well as other relevant partners, designing and implementing health facility survey to quantify the performance of surveillance system, and epidemiological analysis of malaria surveillance, case management, entomological and intervention data and key malaria indicators.
  • The individual will report to the Technical advisor for East, Central, West Africa and work with team members across CHAI’s Global, Regional and Country Malaria Teams and will therefore need to possess strong communication and organizational skills. It is expected that the Research Associate will need to collaborate with government programs, academics and public health agencies to ensure CHAI’s work is complementary and not duplicative other ongoing efforts.

Responsibilities

  • Implement analytical projects related to malaria epidemiology, intervention and surveillance, as required;
    Responsible for country-level implementations of surveillance assessment protocols, and lead activities that relate to that – partner engagement, submission of IRBs, selection of data firms, training of data collection teams, monitoring data collection, data management and analysis, organization of in-country meetings
  • Organize and merge available data, assessing its quality and suitability for analysis, data management and conduct statistical analyses
  • Appropriately and concisely visualize data in the form of charts and maps;
  • Provide technical supervision, training and ad-hoc programmatic support to staff members involved in epidemiological activities such monitoring and evaluation of existing activities, study implementation and all data cleaning, management and analysis tasks;
  • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders across government, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions, with support from program managers;
  • Synthesize results, translate them to national and sub-national government partners to support evidence-based decision making, and disseminate findings through high-quality presentations, reports, and publications internally and externally at international venues;
  • Any other tasks identified.

Click here to learn more about the position and to apply!


Local Health Internship Program, Massachusetts Dept. of Health

Description 

This summer, we are offering up to 35 positions with state and local health departments across Massachusetts, from Boston to West Springfield, and from Tyngsborough to Cape Cod. The program aids graduate public health students in gaining hands-on professional experience, while enabling local health departments to obtain assistance with pressing projects. Selected students work on a wide range of topical projects at the local level including environmental health, substance use disorders, communicable disease case investigation, needs assessments, emergency preparedness, health communication, data analysis, food security, mental health, and health policy. 

Accepted students have access to mentors at the state and local level and are offered the opportunity to spend time shadowing epidemiologists and health educators with various MDPH programs (Infectious Disease, Substance Addiction Services, Global Health, etc.). The program culminates in a Closing Session where students’ final projects are showcased via poster and oral presentations. Students must commit to a minimum of 160 hours during the summer (Estimated time frame: 5/18/2020 – 8/14/2020).

How to Apply

  • Applications are due via email by Friday, March 13, 2020
  • Click here to view application instructions & available positions.  

Summer APE Opportunity, RSPH

Opportunity Overview 

A Rigorous Evaluation of the Relationship between Physical Activity and Academic Achievement in Georgias Elementary Schools Background. While the health benefits of physical activity are well-known and a public health priority, most youth in the United States do not meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Serving more than 95% of U.S. children ages 5-17, the school environment offers a valuable opportunity to engage students in physical activity through the day, but is limited by physical education programs that are often characterized by insufficient curricular, time, financial and staffing allocations. Given that academics are the clear priority for limited school time and resources, school interventions focused on increasing physical activity during the school day may be more successful if supported by evidence that increased physical activity (PA) improves academic achievement. The overall goal of this project is to determine the relationship between physical activity, aerobic fitness and academic achievement among elementary students in Georgia.

  • Preference given to Epidemiology and Biostatistics/ Bioinformatics students, and students with data management and analysis experience.

Click here to apply on Handshake!


Health Information Associate, Clinton Health Access Initiative

Overview

  • The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org 
  • CHAI’s global malaria program provides direct technical and operational support to countries around the globe to strengthen their malaria programs and reduce the burden of this preventable, treatable disease. We support governments to scale up effective interventions for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance, with the goals of sustainably reducing the number of malaria-related illnesses and deaths worldwide in the short-term and accelerating progress towards malaria elimination in the long term.

Overview of Role

  • CHAI is seeking a highly motivated individual to work as a Health Information Associate to support the development, implementation, and assessment of a new suite of digital solutions to improve malaria  surveillance systems.
  • The Associate will liaise between technical partners and CHAI implementation teams to test, package, and roll out an upgraded malaria information system and accompanying mobile tools across 10 priority countries in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola, Southern Africa, and Southeast Asia. This work will include supporting regional and country team members in testing new software applications,  capturing end user needs, assessing pilot results, developing implementation and scale-up strategy, and packaging lessons learned for the Digital Solutions for Malaria Elimination (DSME) community.
  • A successful candidate will need to possess strong communication, organizational, and management skills as well as be able to work independently to drive implementation and have deep personal commitment to producing results. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities including resourcefulness, tenacity, independence, patience, humility, and strong work ethic.

Responsibilities

  • M&E activities of the digital solutions (30%)
  • Project management and partner coordination (20%)
  • Testing of digital solutions meet end user needs (15%)
  • Implementation of digital solutions to government end users (15%)
  • Knowledge management and dissemination (15%)
  • Other tasks, as required (5%)

Click here to learn more about the position and to apply online. 


Upcoming Events

  • GCDTR Seminar Series Presents: "Utilizing Genomics to Study the Role of Ancestry in Racial Disparities" May 6, 2024 at 12:00 am – 1:00 am Guest Lecture Event Type: Guest LectureSeries: HybridSpeaker: Melissa B. Davis, PhDContact Name: Wendy GillContact Email: wggill@emory.eduRoom Location: RRR_R809Link: https://tinyurl.com/Melissa-Davis"Utilizing Genomics to Study the Role of Ancestry in Racial Disparities"
  • 2024 Charles C. Shepard Award Symposium May 8, 2024 at 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm zoom.us… Online Location: https://zoom.us/j/96537866614The Charles C. Shepard Award is given to thegraduating masters student who is deemed bythe faculty to have prepared the most scholarlyresearch paper. Please join us to recognize andcelebrate this year’s finalists who will present aposter of their work.
  • RSPH Staff Council Presents: Cheers and Beers - Schoolhouse Edition May 16, 2024 at 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Networking and Special Event Event Type: Networking,Special EventContact Name: Staff CouncilContact Email: rsphstaffcouncil@emory.eduRSPH staff and post-docs are invited to an evening of camaraderie and delicious bites, presented by the RSPH Staff Council. Space is limited. Watch your email for a link to RSVP.

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