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Fontani S, Kaburu SSK, Marliani G, Accorsi PA, Vaglio S. Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:940707. [PMID: 35967991 PMCID: PMC9366254 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.940707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lake Alaotra gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world and shows low success rate in captive breeding programmes. It is therefore vital to further understand its reproductive biology. We studied a captive troop consisting of five individuals hosted at Jersey Zoo during breeding and non-breeding periods over 1 year. We collected behavioural data (n = 318 h) using all occurrence of some behaviours and ad libitum sampling methods, as well as faecal (n = 54) and anogenital scent (n = 35) samples of the breeding female. We measured sex hormone levels using enzyme immunoassay technique and investigated the volatile component of odour signals using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We observed sexual and aggressive behaviours occasionally during the breeding period. Our regression analysis showed that only period significantly predicted rates of female anogenital scent-marking, whereby the female performed anogenital scent-marking more frequently during the breeding rather than the non-breeding period. In contrast, female hormone levels did not significantly explain variation in rates of neither male nor female olfactory, sexual and affiliative behaviours, suggesting that individuals' behaviour alone is not an effective indicator of the ovulation window. The volatile chemical profile of anogenital odour secretions changed over the study, with four compounds distinguishing the fertile window during the breeding period. In conclusion, our findings suggest that anogenital scent-marking may signal the reproductive status of captive female gentle lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fontani
- Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano S. K. Kaburu
- Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Medicine, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
| | - Giovanna Marliani
- Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Universitá di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pier Attilio Accorsi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Universitá di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Vaglio
- Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
- Behavioural, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Stefano Vaglio
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2
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Gangestad SW, Dinh T. Women's Estrus and Extended Sexuality: Reflections on Empirical Patterns and Fundamental Theoretical Issues. Front Psychol 2022; 13:900737. [PMID: 35795438 PMCID: PMC9251465 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.900737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How do women's sexual interests change across their ovulatory cycles? This question is one of the most enduring within the human evolutionary behavioral sciences. Yet definitive, agreed-upon answers remain elusive. One empirical pattern appears to be robust: Women experience greater levels of sexual desire and interest when conceptive during their cycles. But this pattern is not straightforward or self-explanatory. We lay out multiple possible, broad explanations for it. Based on selectionist reasoning, we argue that the conditions that give rise to sexual interests during conceptive and non-conceptive phases are likely to differ. Because conceptive and non-conceptive sex have distinct functions, the sexual interests during conceptive and non-conceptive phases are likely to have different strategic ends. We discuss provisional evidence consistent with this perspective. But the exact nature of women's dual sexuality, if it exists, remains unclear. Additional empirical research is needed. But perhaps more crucially, this topic demands additional theory that fruitfully guides and interprets future empirical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W. Gangestad
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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3
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Abstract
Female primates signal impending ovulation with a suite of sexual signals. Studies of these signals have focussed on visual, and to a lesser extent, acoustic signals, neglecting olfactory signals. We aimed to investigate the information content of female olfactory signals in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis) and relate these to the female fertile period. We studied eight adult females living in four groups at the CNRS Station de Primatologie, Rousset-sur-Arc, France. We used vaginal cytology to detect ovulation. We investigated the volatile component of odour signals using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found a total of 74 volatile compounds, of which we tentatively identified 25, including several ketones, alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, volatile fatty acids and hydrocarbons that have been identified in odour profiles of other primates. Our results show that vaginal odour intensity differs with sexual cycle stage suggesting that odour might play a role in signalling female baboon fertility. We found differences in vaginal odour between females living in all-female and in mixed sex groups but we could not distinguish the effects of group composition, female age and identity. This study of olfactory signalling improves our understanding of how female primates advertise their sexual receptivity.
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4
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Mucury Filho R, Camargo MR, Mendes FDC. Male-Directed Object Use by Proceptive Female Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) in Captivity. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00195-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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5
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Bernaldo de Quirós E, Wheeler BC, Hammerschmidt K, Heistermann M, Tiddi B. Do sexual calls in female black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) vary with fertility? An acoustic analysis. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22920. [PMID: 30296346 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Females across a range of animal taxa produce vocalizations and signals uniquely associated with periods of mating. While such signals may ultimately function to increase female attractivity to males, conflicting findings challenge the extent to which these signals co-vary in accordance with the probability of conception. Female black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) display an elaborate repertoire of both vocal and visual components as part of their socio-sexual behavior, and previous analyses have shown that the rates of production of visual, but not vocal, components provide graded information on female ovulation. It remains possible, however, that the acoustic parameters of these sexual calls, rather than their rate of productions, co-vary with female fertility. To test this, we analyzed structural and temporal call parameters from estrous calls and post-copulatory calls recorded over five consecutive mating seasons in 12 sexually mature females at Iguazú National Park, Argentina. Calls given during the fertile phase of the female ovarian cycle were compared with those given during the non-fertile phase, as determined by profiles of female reproductive hormones. Similarly, within the fertile phase, we tested whether temporal or spectral acoustic parameters of calls gradually change with the approach of ovulation. We did not find any significant relationship between call parameters and the two measures of female fertility in either female estrous calls or post-copulatory calls. However, some differences between pre- and post-copulatory calls were apparent. Overall, our results indicate that sexual calls in black capuchin females do not provide precise information about the timing of ovulation, but may allow listeners to make probabilistic inferences about whether copulations have taken place. This, combined with previous findings, suggests that females in our study may use signals in different modalities to convey information about their fertility and sexual behavior with varying degrees of precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Bernaldo de Quirós
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Brandon C Wheeler
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Barbara Tiddi
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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6
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Le Moëne O, Ågmo A. The neuroendocrinology of sexual attraction. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 51:46-67. [PMID: 29288076 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Sexual attraction has two components: Emission of sexually attractive stimuli and responsiveness to these stimuli. In rodents, olfactory stimuli are necessary but not sufficient for attraction. We argue that body odors are far superior to odors from excreta (urine, feces) as sexual attractants. Body odors are produced by sebaceous glands all over the body surface and in specialized glands. In primates, visual stimuli, for example the sexual skin, are more important than olfactory. The role of gonadal hormones for the production of and responsiveness to odorants is well established. Both the androgen and the estrogen receptor α are important in male as well as in female rodents. Also in primates, gonadal hormones are necessary for the responsiveness to sexual attractants. In males, the androgen receptor is sufficient for sustaining responsiveness. In female non-human primates, estrogens are needed, whereas androgens seem to contribute to responsiveness in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
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Hidayatik N, Agil M, Heistermann M, Iskandar E, Yusuf TL, Sajuthi D. Assessing female reproductive status of spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) using fecal steroid hormone metabolite analysis. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22917. [PMID: 30221787 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The wild population of spectral tarsier is declining and attempts to breed the species in captivity have been of limited success. One possible reason for this is that information on the reproductive biology of Tarsius tarsier is extremely limited and data on the species reproductive physiology are completely lacking. We validated fecal estrogen (E-total) and progesterone metabolite (5-P-3OH) measurements for monitoring female ovarian activity and pregnancy. We used this approach to provide the first data on cycle and pregnancy length based on endocrine information in this species. We collected regular fecal samples in combination with observations on socio-sexual behaviors for a maximum of 15 months from three females maintained at Primate Research Center of Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia. Hormonal profiles indicated that behavioral estrus was associated with marked elevations in fecal E-total concentrations followed by increases in 5-P-3OH levels indicating luteal function. Pregnancy was characterized by low levels of E-total and 5-P-3OH during the first month and markedly rising concentrations thereafter. An ovarian cycle length of 21.7 ± 5.7 days was found. Gestation length was 128d (live infant), 131d (stillbirth), and 164d (death of mother and infant due to dystocia). Despite the small sample size, the study demonstrates the overall validity of fecal sex hormone metabolite measurements for reproductive monitoring in female T. tarsier, as such, the methods described here may ultimately help to improve the breeding management of the species in captivity. They may also offer new opportunities for investigating basic questions of tarsier reproductive biology in the wild by using fecal hormone metabolite analysis to diagnose pregnant animals and determine reproductive rates in relation to ecological and other factors influencing tarsier reproduction. Thus, non-invasive assessment of female reproductive condition as described here may ultimately contribute to facilitate in and ex situ conservation efforts of this endangered primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanik Hidayatik
- Primatology Study Program, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Agil
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproductive Clinic and Pathology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Entang Iskandar
- Primatology Study Program, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia.,Primate Research Center, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Tuty L Yusuf
- Primatology Study Program, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproductive Clinic and Pathology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Dondin Sajuthi
- Primatology Study Program, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproductive Clinic and Pathology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia.,Primate Research Center, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
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Tiddi B, Heistermann M, Fahy MK, Wheeler BC. Male resource defense mating system in primates? An experimental test in wild capuchin monkeys. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197020. [PMID: 29787573 PMCID: PMC5963770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological models of mating systems provide a theoretical framework to predict the effect of the defendability of both breeding resources and mating partners on mating patterns. In resource-based mating systems, male control over breeding resources is tightly linked to female mating preference. To date, few field studies have experimentally investigated the relationship between male resource control and female mating preference in mammals due to difficulties in manipulating ecological factors (e.g., food contestability). We tested the within-group male resource defense hypothesis experimentally in a wild population of black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) in Iguazú National Park, Argentina. Sapajus spp. represent an ideal study model as, in contrast to most primates, they have been previously argued to be characterized by female mate choice and a resource-based mating system in which within-group resource monopolization by high-ranking males drives female mating preference for those males. Here, we examined whether females (N = 12) showed a weaker preference for alpha males during mating seasons in which food distribution was experimentally manipulated to be less defendable relative to those in which it was highly defendable. Results did not support the within-group male resource defense hypothesis, as female sexual preferences for alpha males did not vary based on food defendability. We discuss possible reasons for our results, including the possibility of other direct and indirect benefits females receive in exercising mate choice, the potential lack of tolerance over food directed towards females by alpha males, and phylogenetic constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tiddi
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Martin K Fahy
- CERCOPAN Nigeria, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
| | - Brandon C Wheeler
- School of Anthropology & Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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9
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Hiramatsu C, Melin AD, Allen WL, Dubuc C, Higham JP. Experimental evidence that primate trichromacy is well suited for detecting primate social colour signals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2458. [PMID: 28615496 PMCID: PMC5474062 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate trichromatic colour vision has been hypothesized to be well tuned for detecting variation in facial coloration, which could be due to selection on either signal wavelengths or the sensitivities of the photoreceptors themselves. We provide one of the first empirical tests of this idea by asking whether, when compared with other visual systems, the information obtained through primate trichromatic vision confers an improved ability to detect the changes in facial colour that female macaque monkeys exhibit when they are proceptive. We presented pairs of digital images of faces of the same monkey to human observers and asked them to select the proceptive face. We tested images that simulated what would be seen by common catarrhine trichromatic vision, two additional trichromatic conditions and three dichromatic conditions. Performance under conditions of common catarrhine trichromacy, and trichromacy with narrowly separated LM cone pigments (common in female platyrrhines), was better than for evenly spaced trichromacy or for any of the dichromatic conditions. These results suggest that primate trichromatic colour vision confers excellent ability to detect meaningful variation in primate face colour. This is consistent with the hypothesis that social information detection has acted on either primate signal spectral reflectance or photoreceptor spectral tuning, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Hiramatsu
- Department of Human Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minamiku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan .,Physiological Anthropology Research Center, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minamiku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - William L Allen
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Rebout N, Thierry B, Sanna A, Cozzolino R, Aujard F, De Marco A. Female mate choice and male-male competition in Tonkean macaques: Who decides? Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Rebout
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | - Bernard Thierry
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | | | | | - Fabienne Aujard
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution; Brunoy France
| | - Arianna De Marco
- Fondazione Ethoikos; Radicondoli Italy
- Parco Faunistico di Piano dell'Abatino; Poggio San Lorenzo Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Rome Italy
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12
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13
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Higham JP. Field endocrinology of nonhuman primates: past, present, and future. Horm Behav 2016; 84:145-55. [PMID: 27469069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In the past few decades, research on nonhuman primate endocrinology has moved from the lab to the field, leading to a huge increase in both the breadth and depth of primate field studies. Here, I discuss the past, present, and future of primate field endocrinology. I review the history of the field, and go on to discuss methodological developments and the issues that they sometimes entail. Next, I consider ways in which we might conceptualize the role of hormones, and focus on the need to distinguish proximate from ultimate levels of explanation. Current potentially problematic issues in the field include: 1) an inability to obtain noninvasive measurements of Central Nervous System (CNS) rather than peripheral hormone concentrations; 2) research questions that become stuck (e.g., questions regarding sexual swelling expression mechanisms); 3) data dredging and post-hoc linking of hormones to any plausible variable, leading to a lack of clarity on their role in animal ecology and behavior. I finish by discussing several unanswered questions that might benefit from further research. These are how we might: 1) best obtain measurements for CNS hormone concentrations non-invasively; 2) measure hormone receptor expression alongside hormone concentrations; 3) consider the human endocrinology literature more thoroughly and perhaps take more multimarker approaches; 4) better consider the social environment, including audience and dyadic familiarity effects; and 5) apply our findings to conservation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Higham
- Dept. of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003.
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