CreativeLiving Features 4 7 9
Create an active, healthier lifestyle Five tips to help.
Declutter your home Free yourself from clutter with these easy tips.
Don’t let achy knees keep you out of life’s game Learn from Hank Aaron.
Editor’s note For some of us spring time just isn’t enough time to get our house together and our lives organized. This month I’ve moved into a new apartment. While packing, I couldn’t believe the amount of well honestly, junk, I’ve accumulated. The house I lived in was so cluttered! Not all of us, I know are as fortunate to move into a new place and get a new start, we have to deal with the clutter we have. But no worries. Check out this month’s feature on declutter your home. It’s sure to help you get your home and life back together again. Happy cleaning!
Specialty Publications Editor
Contact Creative Living is a monthly advertising-sponsored magazine published by the Specialty Publications Department of The Community Press/The Community Recorder.
Page 7 Questions and comments can be sent to Editor Melissa Hayden c/o The Community Press/394 Wards Corner/Loveland, OH 45140 or e-mail mhayden@communitypress.com.
Topics 3 Health & Fitness Mind • Body • Spirit
6 Back to School Schools • Supplies
7 At Home Decor • Repair
Business 8 Local Goods • Services
11 Senior Living Apartments • Care
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Customized care from Hill's Compounding Pharmacy If you’re like many women, when hormones are out of balance, you don’t feel like yourself. Perhaps you’ve tried and tried and nothing seems to help, you’re frustrated - you’re desperate to find an answer. Depending on your particular symptoms and time of life, there may be hope with customized hormone replacement therapy from Hill’s Compounding Pharmacy. “We look at your own particular symptoms and time of life. One size doesn’t always fit all,” explains Jill Schad, RN. “We look at your symptoms, time of life, and goals of therapy. Next, we work with your physician to create a customized formulation that’s right for you. For many typical menopausal symptoms that don’t respond to traditional therapies, we are a source for alternative treatment.” To start, call Hill’s Compounding Pharmacy at 831-3735 to schedule a 90minute educational consultation. During this session, Jill is given the chance to get to know and understand your situation. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a saliva testing kit. Testing is painless and easy in your own home. Lab results are reported back to Hill’s Compounding who will follow up with you. Ultimately, you’ll need a physician’s prescription for the final formulation. The Hill’s Compounding Pharmacy specialists will work together with you and your prescriber to provide customized hormone replacement therapy that provides the needed hormones in the most appropriate strength and dosage form to meet your specific needs. “Hormone replacement therapy should be initiated carefully after a woman’s medical and family history has
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been reviewed,” said owner and pharmacist Jeff Hill. “Every woman is unique and may respond to therapy in her own way. Close monitoring and medication adjustments are essential.” According to Jill, out of the hundreds of women she has helped in the last six years, many have reported success in reducing symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and others. “It’s about improving the quality of life,” Jill said. “While we are dealing with real hormones and there are always risks associated with that, most women find side effects are minimal. I think women choose this option because today, many women are more informed about health options. Women want to make informed choices about women’s health issues.” For more information, call Hill’s Compounding Pharmacy at 831-3735 or visit their website at www.HillsCompounding.com.
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Five easy ways to create an active, healthier lifestyle The good news is that the tried-and-true approach of regular exercise and smart nutrition will go a long way toward managing weight loss and an overall healthy lifestyle. In fact, the benefits of being more active can be seen within a short time after starting a new routine and include more energy, less stress, lower blood pressure, improved digestive health and a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk. A fitness program doesn’t have to take place in the gym. Beverly Abbs, an award-winning ultra-runner, recommends outdoor fun to get started on everyday fitness. “You don’t have to run long distances in order to reap the health benefits,” says Abbs, a member of UltraRunning Team Sunsweet. “Short distance runs and even outdoor walks are a great way to stay fit and have fun. I got my start competing in athletic events with just 2- to 3mile runs. That turned into a life-long love of
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ultra-running.” When you add in smart nutritional choices to your exercise routine, the positives pile up further. “As a triathlete and a sports dietitian, I can tell you that plenty of healthy choices are convenient and taste delicious,” says registered dietician Dr. Katherine Beals. Abbs and Dr. Beals offer these tips for getting started on achieving overall better health.
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Get and stay active: Adults should get 2.5 hours of aerobic physical activity per week and perform strengthening activities two days a week, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services department. Fortunately, it is easier than you might think to incorporate exercise into your routine. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator and find the parking spot that is farthest away to get extra steps in between your car and your destination. Play tag with your kids, or consider signing up for a community fun run 5K. Not only do these runs usually provide an opportunity to race for a good cause, you can use it as training motivation.
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Use interval training: Experts say varying your cardio
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utside of the economy, fitness and healthy eating are among the most critical issues facing Americans today. Only 31 percent of Americans are getting adequate exercise and 68 percent of men and 53 percent of women are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview survey released in March.
work with a combination of easy/hard intervals will result in faster fitness gains. It also mixes up your workouts and staves off boredom. Next time you go for a run, instead of keeping the same pace, try mixing in a few sprints. Start with 30 seconds on hard and 10 seconds on easy.
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Go for convenience: Abbs says dried fruits like Sunsweet Ones, individually wrapped prunes, are a convenient and nutritious snack whether you’re training for a marathon or just a busy person on the go. “These delicious snacks are portable, don’t spoil and deliver calories that count.” Plus, prunes are known to support digestive health.
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Fill up with fiber: Highfiber foods are critical to digestive health and any weight loss program because they fill you up and help keep the hunger pangs at bay. The typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, according to the American Dietetic Association, and health experts recommend a minimum of 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day for most people. Fruits (dried and fresh) and vegetables are great fiber sources including apples, pears,
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prunes, peas, broccoli and sweet corn.
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After an intense workout: Carbohydrate-rich foods that are energy dense, easy to digest and familiar and appetizing - like bagels, granola bars, crackers, dried plums and fruit juices are good choices for post-workout fare to replenish any lost nutrients. Exercise also increases the loss of water from the body, primarily through sweat, so the harder and longer the workout, the more lost fluid that needs replacing. Regardless of your current level of activity and commitment to nutrition, it is never too late to make smart decisions. Make the commitment today and take these steps toward a more fit and healthy you. Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Try scuba diving at the Scuba Shack.
Local scuba diving season has begun When people think of scuba diving, many places come to find – Fiji, Hawaii, the Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, the Red Sea, Galapagos and Australia. But what those same people may not realize is that every weekend, from June through October, hundreds of Cincinnati residents head out for a day or two of scuba diving at local recreational dive sites. “Local scuba diving may not be diving in a tropical paradise, but it does allow certified scuba divers to enjoy a few of the things they love about diving, such as spending time in another world, and experiencing the weightless wonder of ‘flying without wings’,” said Jim Barrie the owner of The Scuba Shack in Florence. “While there are no tropical fish or ocean sea creatures in our local waters, there are numer-
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ous fresh water fish and turtles. And even though there are no beautiful coral reefs here, there are a myriad of interesting rock formations and underwater plants. We also have plenty if sunken boats, airplanes, helicopters and other things to explore underwater at our local dive sites.” The Scuba Shack is located on Route 18, “just around the corner from Florence Mall.” In addition to scubacertification training, The Shack offers certified scuba divers the opportunity to go on Instructor-escorted local dive outings most weekends from June through October. They also conduct several special even diving days, that include the Great Underwater Scavenger Hunt in August, and the Great Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest in October. A typical local day consists of meeting with dive
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buddies, driving to a local site, gearing up, and doing a few dives to depths of 20 to 40 feet. Between dives, ‘surface interval’ time is spent eating, socializing and planning the next dive. “Because scuba diving is 95 percent social, divers also gather for The Scuba Shack’s social gatherings that we call Club Aquarius events,” said Barrie. “We have ‘Shack Doggie’ cookouts, ‘Walk In’ outdoor movie nights and Travel parties , which are frequently held on Shack’s Party Patch behind the shop.” So if scuba diving is on your list of things to do someday, The Scuba Shack offers free ‘Try Scuba’ sessions in their indoor heated pool. Visit the Web site, www.TheScubaPlace.com, or call 859-283-1550 for more information, or to schedule your very own Try Scuba Experience.
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St. Aloysius on the Ohio builds faith, values, academics Nestled on the banks of the Ohio River in historic Sayler Park, St. Aloysius on the Ohio School has been a great place for children to learn and grow for more than 136 years. In the past three years, major renovations were made to the building including the addition of
air conditioning, soundproof ceilings, windows and new student lockers. This school year the school features new computers and smart boards in the classrooms and a new computer lab, equipped with 25 computers. They are also celebrat-
ing the school being nominated for the Panasonic National School Change Award. This award is given to six schools nationally for positive changes in the school community. Each day, these classrooms come alive with activities as 125 students are challenged academically, nurtured spiritually, and tested physically. The students enjoy a safe, friendly environment that encourages mutual respect and self-discipline.
St. Aloysius provides a solid faith-based Catholic education for pre-kindergarten through grade eight. The pre-kindergarten program, which is state certified, offers both fulland part-time options to meet the needs of the students and parents’ work schedules. The school’s low student-to-teacher ratio allows individual attention from a fully-certified staff. For students with spe-
cial needs, academic support services are provided from specialists including a speech pathologist, reading specialist and disabilities tutor. Enrichment activities are offered through athletics, art, music, foreign language and one of the best Accelerated Reader programs in Cincinnati. Call 941-7831 or 9413445 to schedule a personal tour and receive an information packet.
Help your child be their best Cincinnati Speech Services can help you provide your child with every advantage possible to do well in school. This summer is the perfect opportunity to start. This summer Cincinnati Speech Services is offering camps that will help children become more successful in school. The Study Skills Group focuses on good study skills; Writing Adventures allows children to learn more about a variety of writing styles: Descriptive, persuasive, narrative, and compare/contras; and Social Hour is designed to encourage children to use their “new sounds” learned during individual speech therapy sessions. Cincinnati Speech Services uses Orton-Gillingham, a language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible method. It is an intensive, sequential phonics-based system that teaches the basics of word formation before whole meanings. The method accommodates and utilizes the three learning modalities, or pathways, through which people learn – visual, auditory and kinesthetic. They also use Handwriting Without Tears, a curriculum, that is a proven success in making handwriting an easy and natural skill. For more information on Cincinnati Speech Services cal 451-1551l or visit www.cincinnatispeech.com.
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Tips to successfully declutter your house
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veryone does it. You stack, pile and store everything. And now, the closets are so full you fear for your life every time you consider opening the doors; or you can't find a pair of scissors in the junk drawer any more because it's full of, well, junk. Yep, you need to declutter your house. But if the thought of tackling your cleaning project has you collapsing on the couch in exhaustion, consider some of these tips from Savers thrift store to make the task easier - both in sorting your items and getting what you don't want out of your house: • Bring a friend in to help. Not only can the two of you spend a great afternoon together, but your friend can also give you an objective opinion as you sort through items to keep or throw. This allows you to see if your emotions are the only reasons you're holding on to stuff – like your grandmother's old vase that's just collecting dust in your
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closet. Actually, things like that vase will do a lot more good out of your house than in it. Savers thrift store pays its 128 nonprofit partners for every item donated either at the Community Donation Center located on-site at its stores or donated directly to
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its partners. So, all your unused clothing, housewares, furniture and more turn into sustainable funding for nonprofits' programs and services in your local area. Declutter see page 10
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Nature’s Corner’s 35 years means 35 percent savings Summer has been hot and the weather has been very unpredictable. One thing you can count on this summer is the big beautiful plans at Nature’s Corner at a discounted price! Visiting Nature’s Corner is like feeling the essence of the past with the large wooden greenhouses built in the 1920s and the quaint charm of the original 3-story barn now the “Garden Cottage.” The same profession is practiced now as when it was built; flower growing. Nature’s Corner has been a familyowned business for 35 years and grows thousands of beautiful annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, and water plants just for the residents of Delhi and surrounding areas! Even in mind-July, Nature’s Corner is truly a beautiful place to shop for your flower and plant needs. All of the plants are professionally maintained by the entire staff at Nature’s Corner. You will notice the knowledgeable staff cutting back annuals or deadheading perennials or watering the thousands of plants in the greenhouses almost any day you come to shop. “We are passionate about keeping our crop looking good for our cus-
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tomers, explains Tom, owner of Nature’s Corner. “Our staff is the best around and they know what it takes to keep the plants looking fresh. We will not walk away from our plants just because peak sales season is over like the box stores will do. We grow our plants and we care for them. “For later season planting needs we offer larger more mature plants for instant, no-wait color at a discounted price!” Nature’s Corner will offer their big beautiful professionally maintained flowers and plants for 35 percent off your entire purchase! Check out their website at www.naturescornerplants.com for an additional discount coupon on top of this sale! Actually everything is 35 percent off even mulch, fish, mixed pots, pottery, gardening tools, fertilizers, animal repellents and insecticides and all wrought iron – everything! Prices will not go lower, so shop today and get the best selection while they last! Remember, Nature’s Corner has new hours for July through the rest of the season. Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They’ll see you soon!
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Don’t Don’t let let achy achy knees knees keep keep you you out out of of llife’s ife’s game game
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nee osteoarthritis (OA) can happen to anyone; in fact more than 10 million Americans are estimated to suffer from this painful condition.
One of those 10 million is baseball legend, Hank Aaron. Hank is in the record books for breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary home run record, eventually retiring from the game with 755 home runs. During his baseball career, he was in excellent physical shape. However, after retirement, Hank started to experience knee pain. After his primary care doctor recommended that he see an orthopedic surgeon, Hank was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee and began discussing treatment options with his doctor. He tried steroid shots and physical therapy. “They helped a little, but I still had pain,” Hank said. “I talked to my doctor and asked is there anything else that we can do - anything besides surgery? That’s when my doctor recommended a viscosupplement injection.” Now that Hank’s knee pain is gone he feels like himself again. After seeing firsthand how much knee pain can affect his life, Hank’s now stepping up to raise awareness about osteoarthritis of the knee. Learn more about Hank’s experience and help him raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation at www.teamhank.com.
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Quality nursing care, rehabilitation Clovernook provides quality nursing care and rehabilitation, as well as one of the most progressive, effective wound care centers in the Tristate. Clovernook is nestled into six park-like acres in the residential neighborhood of North College Hill and its caring professional staff is dedicated to serving the needs of the residents and their families. The Progressive Wound Centre was opened in 2004, due to Clovernook’s successes in healing vascular, venous, diabetic, surgical, pressure and complex wounds. The Progressive Wound Centre team uses state of the art products and innovative treatments. With quality care, careful monitoring, and a unified team approach, the professionals at The Progressive Wound Centre advance healing in dramatic ways. The Progressive Wound Centre is like no other in the region! All rehabilitation therapies: Physical, Occupational, Speech, Respiratory, and Recreational are available to their residents. Clovernook is Medicaid and Medicare certified and provides private pay, as well as some private insurances. They provide long-term and shortterm care, and skilled and intermediate care.
Declutter from page 7 • Be organized about getting organized. Start in one corner of one room, and slowly make your way around the room in a circle. Don't move on to the next room until you are finished with the first. If you need to take a break, go for it, but always return back to where you left off.
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• Designate a place for donations in a handy, but out-of-the-way location in your house. Encourage family members to place items - clothes, toys, housewares - that they don't want any longer into the bin. Your children will see that not everything has to go into the trash, and something they don't want any longer can be used by someone else. When your donation
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bin is full, you can use Savers new Nonprofit Locator Tool to find a nearby Community Donation Center where you can drop off your goods or get a list of Savers nonprofit partners in your area with donation home pick-up service. Simply visit www.communitydonationcenter.co m and type in your zip code to identify the most convenient drop off location or a specific nonprofit organization you want to support.
This makes it less tempting and more work if you gain the weight back. Another way to determine what is ready to go is to put items you're not sure about into a box. Seal it, and put it into the basement. If you haven't opened that box a year later, donate the entire thing. Chances are, you don't have a clue what's in the box and don't need it. When you donate your unused items to Savers' nonprofit partners, another person can put them to • Be realistic about use, which helps save what you think you want space in landfills, and to keep. If you haven't organizations in your area worn that sweater in more will benefit as well. And than six months, it's ready you won't have to fear to go. And if you lost opening your closet door weight, congratulate anymore. yourself by donating all Courtesy of ARAcontent your larger old clothing.
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Cedar Village Residents and Staff at a recent outing to the Great American Ballpark. This wonderful event was sponsored by the Berg Family Fund and Chai Hopes, which grants wishes for Cedar Village Residents.
Healthy summer living As much as many of us love the sun and the warmer weather, summer has some risks associated with it. Although we all know about sunscreen and staying hydrated, we may not know that high temperatures put our senior population at greater risk. The good news is that there is a lot we can do to prevent summer health problems for seniors, we just need to be aware and be prepared! One of the most important things to consider is keeping cool. Not everyone has, or can afford, air conditioning and homes can become overly warm. If you have an elderly friend or family member, it can be helpful to check their windows, make sure that there are window coverings sufficient to keep the sun out but let breezes circulate. If the
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weather is extreme, you might consider taking your elderly friend or family member somewhere that there is air conditioning, whether it is your home or a mall or movie theatre, just to get them out of the heat. Outdoors, sunscreen is vital for everyone and seniors especially. Fragile skin can burn quickly so use sunscreen every day, even if plans are not to be outdoors. You never know when that can change and overcast weather can produce sunburns just as well as sunny days can. Hats and sunglasses are also important. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate is also a summer theme. Seniors will sometimes limit liquids in an effort to limit restroom visits (maybe there are stairs involved or a long
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walk too) and that can be dangerous. Water and fruit juice are great choices with a goal of eight or more 8-ounce/day. Coffee and alcohol are not great choices because they are diuretics and won't help with that all important hydration. Summer attire also matters. Loose fitting clothing in light colors and natural fabrics will enhance comfort. And if your summer plans include vacation, plan for the senior's health needs. Make sure you have plenty of prescription medicine to take along. Carry a list of medications and time of administration, as well as a list of any allergies and physician phone numbers. A little thought and preparation can help keep summer healthy for everyone!
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Sound advice from caring professionals Has hearing loss created a barrier between you and what’s important to you? Are you ready to reclaim your place in your life and among your friends and family? Join Christopherson & Clark Hearing Center for a Special Event, Wednesday through Saturday, July 2124 to hear what you’ve been missing. During our Special Event, you will receive a free hearing screening and consultation with owner/audiologist Sharon Christopherson, who has gained a reputation among her patients for providing trustworthy, professional, and personalized care for over 30 years. You will also
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receive a free listening demonstration and twoweek trial of the latest advancement in hearing aid technology – Oticon Agil. The Agil, made by Oticon, is one of the most advanced instruments on the market. Its superior technology takes the work out of hearing and listening so you can hear clearly and effortlessly. “We know that people with untreated hearing loss often ‘drop out’ of their social groups and friendships because it is simply too difficult for them to engage effectively in the give-and-take process of social interactions,” says Christopherson, who is one of the first audiolo-
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separating sounds from different sources and directions so that you can gists to offer Agil in the concentrate on the converCincinnati area. With Agil, sation instead of working speech understanding to decipher voices and becomes more immediate stay engaged, even in so that more cognitive background noise. Agil’s energy is readily available designers have also creatto engage in day-to-day ed devices that are small interactions. Agil works and discreet and come in because its engineers a variety of styles to suit understand that hearing is your preferences and not just about audibility— enhance your comfort. it’s about creating order If you’re looking to out of acoustic chaos. This stay connected electroniis precisely what the tech- cally, ConnectLine, a nology behind Agil is able range of plug-and-play to do. The Agil is Bluetooth accessories, can designed to follow the turn your Agil into the brain’s natural process of world’s smallest wireless understanding speech: headset. Connect to your organizing information, cell phone, landline selecting the sounds that phone, MP3 player, televiare of most interest, and sion, or just about any keeping up with those other device with an sounds and voices. It audio output to enhance works by untangling and your enjoyment and ease
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of listening. At Christopherson & Clark Hearing Center, they understand that investing in hearing aids can be scary. Their free trial period takes the “fear factor” out of buying hearing aids, giving you a chance to be sure about your investment before you buy. If you like what you hear during your listening demonstration at our Special Event, take a pair of Agils out with you for a risk-free, two-week test drive. Try them at work, at home, and at play to see what differences they make in your everyday listening situations. If Agil is not right for you, rest assured that Christopherson & Clark maintains relationships with all of the major hearing aid manufacturers to offer you the best technology for your lifestyle, hearing loss, and budget, starting at $1295. And when you decide to buy hearing aids during our Special Event, you’ll also receive free batteries for a year. Don’t wait another day to get back to hearing the sounds and voices that matter most to you. Call 598-9444 for the special event, where you will receive a hearing screening, a personalized consultation with a hearing specialist, a listening demonstration, and a twoweek trial of the Oticon Agil, all with our compliments, plus free batteries for a year with a new hearing aid purchase during the Event. If you or someone you know is just beginning to think about hearing loss, call to schedule a consultation or to request a free copy of the Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids.
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