The Quarterly e-bulletin of EPA's Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Winter 2017
Innovative NYC Project to Reduce Pest-Related
Asthma Triggers and Improve Asthma Outcomes
Healthy Homes Program, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Cockroaches and mice produce allergens that may trigger allergies and worsen
asthma symptoms. Between 34-45% of children with asthma are allergic to
cockroaches and 18-22% are allergic to mice. In NYC, households with cockroaches
are 50% more likely to have asthma, and those with mice are twice as likely,
compared to homes without pests. Studies have found that children with asthma
living in housing largely free of cockroaches and mice have fewer symptom days,
fewer hospitalizations, and fewer school absences than those in homes with pests.
In an effort to improve health outcomes and reduce avoidable hospital use, the NYC
Health Department's Healthy Homes Program (DOHMH HHP) lias partnered with
OneCitv Health on a new project for home-based asthma trigger reduction sendees,
especially related to pests, in the
In This Issue:	homes of children with asthma.
DOHMH HHP has contracted with
three pest management professionals
(PMPs) to provide specialized
allergen reduction services using
integrated pest management (IPM).
NYC Partnership to Improve Asthma
Outcomes		1
Biopesticides are Working to Control
Gypsy Moths,....				3
The Importance of an IPM Champion in
School Districts		5
Funding Opportunity.		6
Change to Grant Application Process..		6
Upcoming Events		7
EPANews		8
SCHOOL m
iT^BETi
Have Questions on IPM in Schools?
Contact EPA's Center of Expertise for
School IPM!
school, ipmr/epa. gov
844-1 .PA-SIPM
Specialized Allergen Reduction
Services
IPM is an effective, prevention-based
pest management method. Unlike
traditional pest control which relies
on pesticides, IPM addresses pests
and building conditions that promote
pests. According to DOHMH HHP, if
pesticides must be used, IPM uses the
least toxic chemicals, applied in the
safest manner to protect people and
pets.
Join our school IPM Listserv!
Asthma is the most common childhood chronic disease in the United States. In New York City (NYC), 13 percent of children age 12
and under are affected by asthma, translating to hundreds of thousands of children. Although some improvements have been seen in
medical management, NYC's asthma hospitalization rates remain high.
What is OneCity Health?
OneCity Health is the NYC Health +
Hospitals-sponsored Performing Provider
System (PPS), formed under the auspices
of the New York State Delivery System
Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP)
program. Comprising hundreds of
healthcare providers, community-based
organizations, and health systems, OneCity
Health is the largest PPS in New York City.
What is DSRIP?
The Delivery System Reform Incentive
Payment Program (DSRIP) is part of
NYS's Medicaid redesign initiative. Its
principal goal is to reduce avoidable
hospitalizations by 25% over 5 years.
DSRIP's focus is on prevention in order
to reduce costs, improve care and improve
health outcomes. This project is supported
by DSRIP funding.

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PESPWire Winter 2017
For the OneCity Indoor Allergen
Reduction Project, DOHMH HHP
has added a specialized allergen
reduction piece to basic IPM services.
This component includes intensive
cleaning of pest-infested areas using
steam cleaning, HEPA vacuuming and
scrubbing of components to remove
roach excrement (frass) and food
residue.
How Families Will Access the Service
and What Will Be Done
As part of the overall project, OneCity
is contracting with organizations that
provide community health worker
(CHW) home visiting services. CHWs
will work with families to promote
proper use of asthma medication and
provide health education. CHWs will
also perform a visual inspection for
asthma triggers. If pests are identified
or if the family reports pests in the
home, the CHW will make a referral to
DOHMH HHP.
The referral will be assigned to one of
the PMPs working on the project to
perform an inspection and treatment.
During the initial visit, the PMP assesses
home conditions, especially kitchens and
bathrooms, and prepares for treatment.
Pests and conditions conducive to
pests are identified and documented,
caregivers are educated about the
treatment, pest monitoring devices are
placed to help identify hot spots and
measure the level of infestation mouse
traps and/or bait stations are placed if
mice are present, and temporary bins are
given to the families so they can safely
store their food and other cabinet items
during the home treatment.
During the follow-up visit, the PMP
conducts the IPM treatment. Mice
trapped since the first visit are removed,
cockroaches and pest evidence are
removed via HEPA vacuum, pest-
infested areas are intensively cleaned by
steam cleaning and HEPA vacuuming,
areas with roach frass and food residue
are scrubbed down, cracks, crevices and
gaps in the cabinets are sealed, and holes
and other pest access points plugged.
DOHMH will perform periodic spot
checks to monitor the quality of
IPM interventions. In addition, for
building issues outside of the PMP
scope of work, DOHMH will work
with building owners to address other
types of building conditions, including
significant structural defects (e.g. large
holes and gaps), mold contamination
and water leaks.
Reducing Disparities and Making a
Difference
This new service has the potential
to contribute to reducing disparities
in astluna outcomes and avoidable
hospitalizations by addressing housing
quality issues. The project could serve
to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of
integrating IPM into care delivery for
patients whose astluna is not controlled
by routine medical management.
NYC
HEALTH+
HOSPITALS
ONE
HEALTH
The following NYC maps show that cockroach (Map 1) and rodent (Map 2) activity in homes coincides with
higher asthma hospitalization rates (Map 3).
Homes with Cockroaches - Subboro
| | 0.4% to <15%
| | 15% to <25®i
Homes with Mice or Rats In the Building - Subboi
Percent, 2014
| | 0.4% to <10%
i j 10% to <19%
[3] 19% to <28%
| 28% to < 37%
¦ 37% to 62.7%
Asthma Hospltalijattons (Children 5 to U Yrs Old) ¦ UHF42
Rato (per 10,000 residents),
2014
M 28 lo <43
Map 1 - Homes with cockroaches m the Map 2 - Homes with rodents in the
building	building
Map 3 - Astluna hospitalizations, children 5
to 14 years old
epa.gov/pesp

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ESP Wire Winter 2017
3
Biopesticides
are Working to
Control Gypsy
Moths
AchtltEuropean gypsy moth
Photo: Susan Ellis, Buewood.ore
The minute Ooencyrtus parasitic wasp
attacks freshly laid gypsy moth eggs
The gypsy moth is one of 14 insects
identified by the World Conservation
Union in its recently released list of
the 100 World's Worst Invasive Alien
Species. For over a century, the gypsy
moth has earned its reputation as one of
the most notorious pests of hardwood
trees in the eastern United States. It
defoliates a million or more forested
acres each year and kills or weakens
trees that are defoliated in consecutive
years. Stands of oak are the gypsy
moth's preferred host followed by other
hardwoods, such as apple, sweetgum,
gray and white birch, and poplar
The gypsy moth was introduced into the
United States from Europe in 1869 by
a Massachusetts businessman hoping to
breed the gypsy moth with the silkworm
to produce hardier US silkworms. The
moths escaped from his backyard and
the rest is history. Over the past 100+
years, millions of dollars have been
invested in researching methods for
controlling gypsy moth, including using
pesticides, releasing parasitoids and
predators, and using fungi, viruses and
bacteria.
Many natural enemies are now
established in the parts of North
America that have gypsy moth and
can help to control modest population
outbreaks. These organisms infect and
kill the larvae without harm to people
or beneficial insects like honeybees.
Natural parasitoids of the gypsy moth
include several wasp and lly species,
many of w hich lays their eggs in the
caterpillars. When the eggs hatch, the
larvae feed on the gypsy moth caterpillar
ultimately killing their hosts. Other
wasps parasitize the gypsy moth eggs.
Predators of the gypsy moth include
ground beetles, ants, nematodes, birds,
and small mammals.
These bacteria, viruses, and other
naturally occurring organisms can
now be mass produced as pesticidal
products. These biopesticides can be
particularly effective when incorporated
into Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
programs that include conventional
pesticides.
Biopesticides can also be effective
in helping delay the resistance that
pests commonly develop when a
pesticide is used repeatedly. When a
biological pesticide is substituted for
a conventional pesticide, the cycle of
repeated applications that leads to pest
and disease resistant populations is
broken, extending the effective lifespan
of the conventional product.
Only the larval stage of the gypsy
moth damages trees and shrubs. While
feeding behavior can vary, gypsy moth
larvae typically eat the leaves of host
trees then move on in search of another
host tree to feed upon. The larvae reach
maturity between mid-June and early
July. The hatching of gypsy moth eggs
and larval emergence coincides with
the budding of most hardwood trees in
the spring. That is the time for the first
application of the biopesticide Bacillus
thuringiensis\ariety kurstaki (Btk), a
naturally-occurring soil bacterium that
has become an important tool in many
IPM programs.
Btk is a microbial pesticide that must be
eaten by insect larvae to be effective.
After ingesting Btk, the larvae stop
feeding and die within a few days.
Because Btk must be eaten to work,
good spray coverage of the plant leaves
is essential for control. Btk used for
controlling gypsy moth has no effect
on other types of insects (such as bees)
except for other larvae that eat the
treated leaves. It is also considered
"practically nontoxic" to humans and
other vertebrates. Btk works best as part
of an IPM plan.
Oak branch defoliated by gypsy moth larvae
Photo: Louis-Michel Nageleisen, Departement de la
Sante des Forets, Buswood.ore
Gypsy moth larva
Photo: John H. Ghent, USDA Forest Service,
Buswood. ore
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PESPWire Winter 2017
A gypsy moth larva killed by NPV, Larvae
tilled from by infection "will" and typically
take on a V shape
The Lymcmtria dispar
nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) is
a naturally occurring organism, that
persists in the soil and bark, and lias
been developed as a microbial pesticide
specific to the gypsy moth. It is
presently registered by the EPA under
the name "Gypchek", and produced in
limited quantities by the USD A Forest
Service, with use restricted to areas
where non-target impacts are rare. The
NPV, also called 'wilt', has the ability
to causes a dramatic collapse of gypsy
moths when their populations are high.
Gypsy moths 'catch' the virus when
they eat foliage contaminated with viral
occlusion bodies which contain the
virus particles. The alkaline condition
of the gypsy moth gut dissolves the
occlusion bodies and the vims particles
penetrate through the gut wall. The virus
reproduces rapidly, and quickly liquefies
the moths' internal organs, causing
death.
Once the gypsy moth eats foliage with
the NPV virus, it takes roughly 10 -
14 days for death to occur. The virus
is unable to infect humans or other
mammals because it cannot replicate
in mammalian cells. Physical barriers
called barrier bands are another tactic to
block gypsy moth larvae from feasting
on trees. These consist of double-sided
tape, sticky barriers, petroleum jelly,
or grease applied to the surface of
an impermeable material to prevent
larvae from crawling up the trunks of
susceptible trees.
One fungal pathogen, Entomophaga
maimaiga (Em), lias been successful in
controlling gypsy moth populations in
the eastern United States. The fungus
has not been successfully produced
commercially but spreads naturalh
and is a very important component
in keeping gypsy moth populations
suppressed once they have become
established in an area. The caterpillars
become infected when they contact the
fungus on the ground as they crawl from
tree to tree. Fungal spores actively shoot
out of the dead larvae, disperse into
the environment, and spread quickly to
other caterpillars.
Finally, gypsy moth caterpillars enter the
pupal stage when they metamorphose
into moths ready to reproduce. Female
gypsy moths attract male moths by
emitting a pherornone. This mating
phase is when imitation pheromones are
effective in disrupting mating. When
pheromones are applied throughout an
area, the male moths are confused by the
multitude of aerial plumes.
Slow the Spread Program
This significantly lowers their chances
of locating and mating with a female,
effectively breaking the reproductive
cycle.
Pheromones are effective as a stand-
alone treatment in the national Slow
the Spread program to manage gypsy
moth. This program is implemented
along the expanding front of gypsy
moth populations, where populations
are recently established and at very low
densities. However, it is not effective
as a control method, either stand-alone
or in conjunction with other control
measures, in suppression programs
where the goal is to prevent defoliation
by established, high-density populations.
To help manage the gypsy moth on
smaller properties, an approach is to
collect and destroy egg masses and
caterpillars. Exercise caution is when
handling the egg masses as the layer
of scales that coat them can cause an
allergic reaction.
Maintaining the health of your specimen
trees will go a long way in giving them
an edge in surviving a gypsy moth
defoliation event. Best practices for
tree management in areas prone to
gypsy moth invasions include proper
fertilization, following the label when
applying herbicides near trees, and using
mulch or ground cover plants.
EPA would like to thank the experts from
the Mame Forest Service. U.S.Forest
Sen'ice. and USDA Animal and Plant
Flealth Inspection Service who lent their
knowledge to the development of this
article.
Since Congress funded the Slow the Spread Program (STS) in 2000, the USDA Forest Service and eleven states located along the
leading edge of gypsy moth populations have implemented a region-wide strategy to minimize the rate at which gypsy moth spreads
into uninfested areas. While traditional approaches to gypsy moth management address potentially defoliating populations occuring
in generally infested areas, the STS project focuses on populations in the area between that of general infestation and generally
uninfested. The project attempts to meet its goals by conducting intensive monitoring with pheromone-baited traps in order to
detect isolated or low-level populations in the transition zone. Although all available tactics to control gypsy moth populations are
considered, emphasis is placed upon the most environmentally benign tactic which meets management objectives.
As a direct result of this program, spread has been dramatically reduced by more than 70% from the historical level of 13 miles per
year to 3 miles per year. In its first 6 years, this program prevented the impacts that would have occurred on more than 40 million
newly infested acres To learn more, please visit Slow the Spread's website.
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'ESPWire Winter 2017
5
The
Importance
of an IPM
Champion in
School Districts
Marcia Anderson
For the past ten years, Pennsylvania's
Upper Merion Area School District
(UMASD) has embraced Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) as a safe, smart and
sustainable approach to pest control
that helps safeguard children's health.
The district's administration knows
that exposure to pests can adversely
affect children and that the unnecessary
exposure to pesticides is just that,
unnecessary!
UMASD Director of Operations
Frederick (Fred) Remelius believes
every school district needs a champion
to find IPM success. From day one
he has been that champion for Upper
Merion, seeking involvement from
everyone within the district.
In Pennsylvania, only state-licensed
applicators are allowed to apply
pesticides in a school. The state also has
IPM regulations requiring all schools
to adopt IPM programs, and provides
comprehensive IPM guidance for
schools.
This has prompted the change in
many Pennsylvania school districts
from reactive, pesticide-centric pest
control to preventing pest infestations
through IPM, with an emphasis on pest
monitoring.
Mr. Remelius encourages facility
managers everywhere to step out of
their comfort zone and become IPM
educators and champions. Mr. Remelius
is a shining example of how a facility
manager can utilize the health benefits
of IPM to obtain buy-in for district-wide
implementation.
IPM can significantly reduce asthma
triggers and improve indoor air quality.
In addition to being a health concern
astluna is a financial burden for
Pennsylvania school districts, as student
attendance is linked to school funding.
Approximately 15% of the Upper
Merion's nearly 4,000 students have
asthma. To obtain and keep the buy-in
of school staff, Fred regularly reminds
them that mice and cockroaches are two
of the most common asthma triggers.
Discussing IPM in terms of reducing
astluna triggers is an effective way to get
the attention of principals and nurses. By
taking this approach, Fred has had few
challenges obtaining buy-in from staff
and administration.
Mr. Remelius began the process of
implementing IPM at Upper Merion
by educating his department. The head
custodians attended IPM training, where
they learned to eliminate the pests' food
and water sources.
Vacuuming a swam of insects on the outside
of a school
Photo: Fred Remelius
Next, Mr. Remelius turned his attention
to educating sanitation and building
maintenance staff, followed by engaging
a widening group of other school staff.
Fred's favorite reminder is "Ifyou feed
them, they will comer One of the main
staff behaviors he and his team had
to change was inadvertently feeding
pests. Before IPM was implemented
in the district, teachers would store
food in their desks and create make-
shift kitchenettes in classroom closets.
To tackle this problem, Fred and liis
team refined the district's sanitation
protocols to tackle classroom clutter,
food and waste. For example, facilities
provided larger, lined trash cans for each
classroom to better contain and isolate
waste. Not all food can be eliminated
from the classroom, but ensuring that
food does not become a meal for pests is
possible.
The Importance of Positive Identification
Correctly identifying a pest helps determine the threat it poses and how it should be managed.
Understanding a pest's action thresholds, the point at which action is required to reduce that pest's
numbers, is also extremely helpful. Many classrooms can tolerate the occasional house fly or a few
scavenging ants without the need for pest control action. On the other hand, a single yellow jacket in a
classroom necessitates an immediate response.
Upper Merion staff encountered a swarm of boxelder bugs clinging to a middle school building. Mr.
Remelius identified the boxelder bugs, then did some research to discover the best way to manage
the swarm. He discovered that the bugs were benign, and that simply removing them would solve the Boxelder-bugs cling toa
problem. The team rectified the situation with a vacuum.	school building
Photo' Fred Reiwelitis
Sharply contrasting this situation's IPM-based resolution was a different district's response to a spider.
In this district, which did not have an IPM program, a teacher thought a spider in her classroom was a brown recluse. Without
confirming the identification, the entire school was treated with pesticide. Had they followed an IPM approach, the harmless spider
would have been properly identified, and it would have been determined that no pest control action was necessary.
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PESPWire Winter 2017
Mr. Remelius strongly encourages staff
in the six UMASD schools to become
engaged in IPM. He's found that once
the administrators understand the
health issues posed by pests, they are
motivated to work with teachers, staff,
and students to reduce pest problems
and pest conducive conditions. Mr.
Remelius provides weekly updates
to the administration on maintenance
and sanitation protocols and includes
pictures of pest problems and pest-
friendly areas. He also provides simple
brochures and e-mails to teachers and
administrators as subtle reminders to
keep up their good pest prevention work.
Even with an effective IPM program in
place. Upper Merion continues to face
pest pressures. Mice in older facilities
are one of their more challenging pest
issues. Mice had spent years developing
hidden pathways in ceilings and
behind walls in these older buildings.
Occasionally they would chew right
through ceiling tiles and drop into the
cupboards. Because the mice confined
most of their activity to nighttime, they
often went unnoticed.
Ultimately, the district's maintenance
staff recognized and then followed the
mouse trails to find pest entry points.
They sealed the holes, and closed any
gaps in the building that they found.
In areas prone to mouse problems, the
custodians placed peanut butter baited
traps after school hours and collected
the mice they caught in the morning
before staff and students returned.
Multiple IPM techniques keep the rodent
population well within control in Upper
Merion schools.
Through the use of integrated pest
management, the Upper Merion School
District has found success in both
controlling pests and maintaining a
healthy indoor environment for students,
teachers, and staff. By focusing on
preventing infestations and IPM-based
tactics, the district will continue to
deftly handle pest problems as they arise
while minimizing any impact on student
education.
For more information Mr. Remelius can
be reached at fremelius@umasd.org
Funding Opportunity
National Indoor Environments Program: Reducing Public Exposure
to Indoor Pollutants
Closing Date: Febmary 17, 2017
U.S. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Indoor Environments Division (IED)
has posted a new RFA (EPA-OAR-ORIA-17-02) www epa.gov/grants/air-grants-and-
fundmg. and www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunitv.html?oppld=290725.
IED's priorities include, yet are not limited to, (1) radon, (2) indoor environmental
asthma triggers, and (3) multiple indoor air contaminants.
Examples of projects eligible for funding include those that result in (1) an increase in
the number of homes and schools built with radon-reducing features. (2) an increase
in the number of home visiting programs providing in-hoine asthma interventions by
licensed providers in disproportionately affected communities, and (3) an increase
in the number of homes, schools and office buildings with interventions that reduce
exposure to multiple indoor air contaminants.
To learn more about IED's currently funded (2014-2017) cooperative agreements and
partners, visit www.epa.gov/indoor-air-qualitv-iaq/cooperative-agreement-funding-
indoor-air-qualitv. To learn more about healthy indoor environments and indoor air
quality, visit www.epa.gov/indoor-air-qualitv-iaq. Opt in here to receive periodic email
updates about healthy indoor air.
Change Coming to Grant Application Process
Starting in December 2017 applicants will have to apply through Grants.gov using the
Workspace submission method. Grants.gov expects this change will benefit applicants
in a number of ways due to the features it will offer. Workspace has been available
to applicants for quite some time and currently they can apply using it or they can
apply using the older single PDF application package of forms (what Grants.gov calls
the "legacy" package). In December 2017, Grants.gov will no longer support the
legacy submission method and applicants will be required to apply using Workspace.
Accordingly, we will be revising our standard grants.gov instructions to include the
paragraph below to put applicants on notice about this.
Please note that Grants.gov is strongly encouraging users to sign up for and use their
"Workspace" feature when applying for opportunities. Grants.gov will be phasing out
the "legacy" application process, so EPA recommends that all applicants begin using
Workspace as soon as possible so they are prepared when the "legacy" application
process is no longer available.
GRANTS.GOV3"
FIND. APPLY. SUCCEED.w
epa.gov/pesp

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'ESPWire Winter 2017
7
Upcoming Events
Annual Conference. Associat ion of Applied IPM Ecoloeists 9th International Integrated Pest Management Symposium
February 6-7,2017	""	March 19-22,2018
Napa, CA	Baltimore, MD
Global Summit of Pest Management Services
April 2-4, 2017
New York, NY
National Association of School Nurses conference
June 30 - July 3, 2017
San Diego. CA
National Pest Management Association's Pest World 2017
October 24-27. 2017
Baltimore, MD
School 1PM Webinars
Presented by the EPA Center of Expertise for School IPM
•	January 24, 2017- How Integrated Pest Management Helps
Control Pests of Public Health Importance in Schools
•	February 21, 2017- More Than Just a Firm Handshake: Bid
and Contract Guidance for Securing IPM-Based Sen'ices for
Schools
March 14,2017- Feed the Kids, Not the Pests: Effective IPM
for Cafeterias and Kitchens
•	April 11, 2017 ~ Contending with Invasive Plants on School
Grounds
EPA News
EPA Grant of More Than $215,000 Will Aid Oklahoma's Pesticide Program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry a grant
of $216,922 for implementing pesticide programs. These funds are part of a cooperative agreement between EPA and the state of
Oklahoma to support the state in continuing to administer an effective pesticide regulatory and enforcement program. The funds
will go toward for enforcement, applicator certification, worker protection standards, pesticides in water, and endangered species
programs.
EPA Takes Action to Prevent Poisonings from Herbicide
The EPA is finalizing safety measures to stop poisonings caused by ingestion of the herbicide paraquat, which can also cause severe
injuries or death from skin or eye exposure.
Since 2000, there have been 17 deaths - three involving children - caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. These cases have
resulted from the pesticide being illegally transferred to beverage containers and later mistaken for a drink and consumed. A single
sip can be fatal. To prevent these tragedies. EPA is requiring:
new closed-system packaging designed to make it impossible to transfer or remove the pesticide except directly into the proper
application equipment;
special training for certified applicators who use paraquat to emphasize that the chemical must not be transferred to or stored in
improper containers; and
changes to the pesticide label and warning materials to highlight the toxicity and risks associated with paraquat.
In addition to the deaths by accidental ingestion, since 2000 there have been three deaths and many severe injuries caused by the
pesticide getting onto the skin or into the eyes of those working with the herbicide. To reduce exposure to workers who mix, load and
apply paraquat. EPA is restricting the use of paraquat to certified pesticide applicators only. Uncertified individuals working under the
supervision of a certified applicator will be prohibited from using paraquat.
Paraquat is one of the most widely-used herbicides in the U.S. for the control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural
settings and is also used as a defoliant on crops such as cotton prior to harvest.
Actions on specific pesticides are one way that EPA is protecting workers from pesticide exposure. EPA's Final Certification and
Training and Worker Protection Standard rules will also protect pesticide applicators and farmworkers.
To View the docket on www.regulations.gov: EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855-0112
epa.gov/pesp

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