Monthly Archives: September 2020

Tips For Measuring A Driveshaft

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Your car’s driveshaft is a very important part of the car’s driveability. Essentially, it transmits the torque from your car’s transmission to the wheel axles. Precisely where that power is distributed depends on the type of car you have. If you have a front-wheel drive, power from your transmission will be sent to the two front wheels. Meanwhile, if you have a car that has a rear-wheel drive, power will be sent to the back wheel axles. On occasion, you may come across two driveshafts if you have a four-wheel-drive car or truck.

Located in places that may be difficult to navigate to on your own, a driveshaft has to be measured. You may need to replace it or any other part of your vehicle. In order to do this, it needs to be measured correctly. Here are some tips that will show you how to measure a driveshaft.

What You Will Need

There are a few materials you will need to gather in order to do this properly. Those items include a flashlight, hydraulic floor jack, jack stands, paper and pen, steel tape measure and wheel chocks. In order for this process to be simple and easy, you have to jack your car up high enough so that you have enough room to work underneath it. Raise the back end of your car using the floor jack and make sure you place your jack stands near the rear axel.

Step 1

The first step is to make sure your car is secure. Park your car somewhere on unyielding, level ground. Be sure that you put on the emergency brake. To ensure your car does not slide, put your wheel chocks against a front tire in a way that ensures it will not move. Putting your wheel chocks against the front tire will prevent the car from rolling since the emergency brake on most cars holds the rear wheels.

Step 2

Use your hydraulic floor jack to lift your vehicle. Make sure that you know the right lifting point located under the rear of your car. You want to make sure that you are placing the jack in the right place so you do not accidentally damage your car. Finding the right lifting point is also crucial if you do not want your car to slide off the jack while it is being lifted. Having trouble trying to locate this? Turn to your owner’s manual.

Keep in mind that while you are lifting a vehicle with a jack, make sure that it stands below the car to support it before you start working. Doing anything else can be extremely dangerous. Now it is time for your jack stands to shine. Place them securely under the rear axle. While you are measuring your driveshaft length, remember to keep the weight of your car on the rear suspension as this could impact the distance between your transmission and the pinion flange.

Step 3

How you measure the driveshaft of one car is going to be different than the way you measure the driveshaft of another car. Measure the space between the two flanges if your car has a flange mounted on the back of your transmission as well as a flange on the differential. On the other hand, measure the distance between the end of the transmission shaft to the center of the rear u-joint if you have a car that has a driveshaft that slides onto the transmission output shaft.

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High Paying Career Ideas That Require No Experience

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Are you looking for a new career at the moment? Are you currently stuck in a dead-end job where you’re never going to earn a decent living? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’re going to take a look at some high-paying career suggestions that require no experience. That’s right! You don’t need any previous experience at all to try these jobs, and they have the potential for significantly larger salaries than you’ll find anywhere else. 

With that in mind, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s begin!

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Work on a trawler 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re male, female, or anything in between, anyone can get a job working on a trawler if they have the right attitude and connections. The job involves spending weeks at sea fishing, but you could earn a small fortune every year. In most instances, the boat captain will take money from the catch to cover their costs. They will then pay themselves before splitting the rest of the profits between the crew. 

Lots of people who work on trawlers earn a middle-class wage each year, and you could do the same. Get in touch with different captains, and ask if they have any available positions if you want to try this career. 

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Work in the energy industry

There are many different jobs within the energy industry that offer fantastic wages, even if you don’t have any experience. For instance, you might work an unskilled job aboard an oil rig or something similar? You could join a drilling company and spend time in Africa searching for natural gasses or minerals. The possibilities are endless, and it’s possible to earn a crazy wage if you join the right company. 

For jobs of that nature, you need to check the websites of different energy companies. Most will list available positions in their jobs sections. 

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Work in real estate

One of the best things about working in the real estate industry is that you expose yourself to unlimited earnings. In most instances, you will earn a small wage from the company for which you work. However, you can also earn a commission on every house you sell. So, if you work hard and master the trade, it is possible you could significantly improve your quality of life. 

Of course, selling property is hard work, and it might take a while before you become proficient at it. Still, if you’re a fast learner, real estate could be an excellent idea. 

The high-paying career ideas listed on this page require no experience. So, there is nothing preventing you from getting a CV together and sending it off to some suitable companies today. Just remember that you’re far more likely to catch a fish if you have lots of fishing rods in the water. That means you need to contact hundreds of different firms if you want to secure a job offer. If you do that, you’re sure to get a bite eventually. 

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you check out some other fantastic career articles on this blog before you leave! See you next time!

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Make Lockdown Work for You With These Great Hacks

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Lockdown has been a tough time for so many people, and it is important to make sure you try to focus on making this a process that is easier to deal with right now. There are a lot of things that play a role in helping to improve this process, and you need to think about what you can do whilst stuck at home to make the entire process more tolerable. You need to consider what it takes to make the best of this right now, and this is something you need to think about. 

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There are a lot of elements that play a part in this, and it is vital that you come up with your own hacks to make the time pass in a more productive and tolerable fashion. Keeping busy is important, but you also need to come up with ideas for things you can do while stuck at home that are going to make things better right now. Make the most of this by using these awesome ideas to take things to the next level right now. 

Spend More Time in the Garden

Spending more time in your garden is one of the best things you can do to help make lockdown work for you. The importance of getting outside and enjoying fresh air has been magnified much more as a result of the lockdown process. And there are loads of great options you need to think about that play a part in this; try to spend more time in the garden, and maybe even work on sprucing up the garden as much as possible right now. 

Make the Most of Your Time Alone

Spending time alone is part and parcel of the lockdown process and this is something that plays a role in your life. You have to look at how to make the most of ‘me’ time during lockdown, and really nurture your mental well-being as a result. There are a lot of things you can do on your own that are edifying and productive, and it is important to make sure you try to keep your mind active as much as possible. 

Set up a Man Cave

Setting up a man cave is one of the best ways of spending the lockdown experience, as this gives you a domain you can retreat to for leisure and entertainment during this tough time. There are so many wonderful ideas you can use to enhance and improve the man cave and really make the most of it. For instance, looking at this guide to the best man cave bar stools is a great way of sourcing furniture for your man cave and adding more of a personal touch. 

Working from Home

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that play a role in this, and you have to do as much as possible to work on making the most of this moving forward. One of the key things you need to work on getting right is how much you can work on making this time count for you. These are some of the key hacks that you need to work on right now, and it is important to focus on taking this to the next level right now. 

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How Men Can Look Their Best

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Men are often not taught as much about how to look their very best as women are, but it is something that might be worth looking into. For one thing, you might find that you can feel better about yourself and have more of a sense of self-esteem if you know how to look your best. You might also start to enjoy it as a kind of pastime in itself, which is something that a lot of people say. In this post, we are going to look at some of the things a man can focus on if they want to look their absolute best.

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Consider Growing A Beard

Some men have trouble growing a beard, and such men should probably forget about it altogether. If you generally can’t grow a beard very well, then you should not think about doing so any time soon. But if you are able to grow a full beard, then do so proudly, and try it out at the very least. You might find that it is the kind of thing that really suits you, and in any case it is worth trying out. If you want to make sure that your beard really looks the part, you can learn beard care and how to keep it in the best possible condition. All in all, a beard can make you look manly and attractive, and it’s something to think about.

Get Grooming

Something that men often overlook, but which is so central to all this, is basic grooming. If you want to look attractive, then some simple daily grooming is going to do a lot for you. That essentially means washing and keeping clean, and doing all those basic things like brushing your hair. If you start grooming every day, you are going to be showing to the world that you care about yourself, and in that you will find that you end up looking much more attractive indeed. So consider grooming more if you are currently not doing it all that much.

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Change Up Your Dress Code

If you don’t generally tend to think much about what you are wearing, then starting to pay attention to it could be one of the best things you ever do for trying to look your best. By changing up how you dress and how you think about how you dress, you are going to find that you have much more chance to look your absolute best, if nothing else this will help you to practice a new style which you might then find you can stick with for good. Make sure that you are thinking about this if you want to look your absolute best, and that you are happy to experiment a little until you find a style that really suits you.

These are all going to be important ways to look your best as a man, so make sure that you bear them in mind.

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Are Your Employees Reaching Their Full Potential?

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There are many things that you might want to do to ensure that you are getting the most out of your employees. Arguably one of the important changes you can make, and one which a lot of business owners are starting to do, is to try to engage with your employees’ potential. If, as an employer, you begin to help your employees to reach their full potential, that is going to be beneficial for both them and the business’ performance itself. Here are some of the best ways you can ensure your employees reach their potential.

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Encourage Their Initiative

If you have ever worked one of those jobs where you don’t have a great deal of freedom to approach the work as you please, you will be fully aware of just how stifling it can be. However, when you are encouraged to use your initiative, it allows you to approach the tasks you are working on in a completely different, creative kind of way. And that opens up your full potential. As an employer, you can bring this out in your people simply by making it clear that you encourage them to use their initiative in their work. It will make everyone happier.

Provide A Mentor

Often you need to provide your employees with a range of different kinds of help if you are to ensure that they work their best. If you are looking to open this up in your business and provide your people with a new kind of help, you might want to consider mentoring. With decent mentoring, your employees can really unleash their own creative power and imagination, and get closer to their potential in no time at all. You can find out more info here on how to achieve this in a workplace setting.

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Promote The Best

People are much more likely to work hard and to their fullest capability if they know that you are the kind of employer who promotes the best. Avoiding any cronyism and nepotism, and promoting people instead based on their skills, is always going to help people to reach their full potential at work. Also try not to fall victim to that style of promotion which keeps people in the job they are good at, for fear of losing them. Instead, promote people who deserve it, and this will naturally improve morale and everyone’s work ethic.

Train, Train, Train

Whatever the business does and whatever industry you are operating in, it is important that your employees feel capable of working their job. That means you need to train them, and as long as you are training them well and regularly they are going to be able to put their all into the work. In the long run, this will mean a workforce who are clued up and know what they’re doing, and who enjoy their work a lot more too. It’s absolutely worth training your employees as best as you can.

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How Technology Is Helping Businesses During The Pandemic

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Technology helps all people in all walks of life. Think about how much you use a piece of technology each day. Even if that piece of technology is boiling the kettle, or waiting for an automatic door to open. Even if you may think you’re totally anti-technology, you’ll be using technology every single day. That’s why we think it’s important to understand how technology can help your business, no matter how big or small it may be. If there’s one area of the world that’s totally dedicated to technology, it’s business. A business can’t function without so many different ways of using technology, especially during the pandemic we’re going through. The way that the world works is still fluctuating, with some countries bringing in new restrictions as others relax them. So, if you feel like your business is struggling a bit at the moment, or perhaps it will as we head into the festive season, we want to show you how technology can help. Keep on reading to find out more.

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Technology That Improves Processes

There are so many pieces of technology that you can use that improve the processes that might not be working well at the minute for you. Depending on the work environment you’re in, different technology is going to suit you better. If you run a warehouse building parts, you might benefit from a tube laser cutter or a 3D printer, something that works so much more efficiently than old fashioned methods. If you work in an office then you might benefit from the latest and best computer technology as well as telephone technology to bring you closer to your customers. Or you might benefit from software that helps make managing customers far easier. All you need to do is consider the industry that you’re working in and the technology that you might benefit from. It might make it easier to pick out parts of your processes that you know cause the most problems and look to see if technology can change that.

Technology That Generates Leads

Leads are so important, especially during the pandemic. Generating leads is the process fo reaching out to potential customers and gathering information, with the idea that leads to then become a sale. There is marketing technology that allows you to see where it might be easiest to gather your leads from. You can see where people are clicking on your website from, and whether they follow through to a sale. You can then hammer that area where you’re generating the most leads, as well as identify areas that might need a little bit of work, in order to turn more leads into sales.

Technology That Keeps You Safe

Finally, you’re going to need technology that keeps you and your business safe. Robberies to businesses are at an all-time high since the pandemic, so consider installing high tech security cameras for your premises, and research ways that you can make your database more secure. Business hacks so that hackers can steal personal details are so common.

As you can see, technology can always be used to your advantage when running a business; it can drastically improve employee efficiency, saving you valuable time and money in the long run. These cost-cutting methods are more important than ever as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic in which many companies are struggling financially. However, it would be irresponsible to say that the technology itself is not a significant investment – and you may have to set aside certain funds to obtain it in the first place. 
Furthermore, you must invest in the right technology for your company.  For example, the cheapest option that promises the quickest results may not always be the best choice – as cutting corners can easily lead to errors, and technology isn’t always foolproof.  When you use the incorrect technology, you can build up a ‘technical debt’ that sets your business back several steps. Therefore, it is important you know exactly how to measure technical debt and what exactly it entails. To put it simply, this debt is not necessarily financial – and instead refers to the amount of time and effort you will have to invest into undoing those mistakes. Therefore, you should research each product thoroughly before making a costly purchase and assess any issues that could arise from using it.

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What Does Your Business Need To Start-Up Successfully?

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It’s important to be aware that 90% of startups do ultimately fail on the market. If you’re not careful, then your company could be next. To avoid this, you need to think about why businesses fail. Once you understand the recipe for success you will be able to make sure that you follow the right steps to guarantee that your company is one of the few triumphs. The good news is that if you get things right at the beginning of your business journey, things will be far easier further down the road. 

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The Finances 

The first thing that your business is going to need is the correct finances to start-up. Some people are fortunate enough that they can fund this out of their own pocket, and if that sounds like you then you are going to have an easier time getting everything together. The other option that you have is to find an investor. This is someone who agrees to fund your business for a certain percentage of ownership of your company. 

Investors are usually how most people start a business, so don’t feel as though this is not an option you should consider. If you don’t want to give up ownership though, we highly recommend looking into crowdfunding options. You start a fund on one of a variety of websites, and people can donate money to you. The best thing about this is that you don’t owe anyone anything because it was a voluntary contribution and nobody but you own any of your business. 

A Business Office

You might think that these days your business doesn’t need an office. It’s understanding why you would assume this. However, while there are certainly benefits to running your business from home, it’s not recommended. Home businesses make it notoriously difficult to find the right team members and support. It also makes you look weaker in the eyes of customers and clients. They may assume that you won’t have the skills or resources to deliver the high-quality service that they want or need. A business office is always going to make your company look far more professional and help you attract bigger, better clients. 

A Fantastic Idea

Finally, you need to have a fantastic idea or you won’t fit in on the market. You’ve got to find a gap that you can fit in or else you’re going to be directly competing with a whole host of other companies. It’s too easy to get drowned out this way, so you want to do something new. Once you’ve got an idea, look into welding services and whatever else you’re going to need to create a prototype. This will give you an idea of what the finished product will be and whether it will stand up on the competitive market. 

We hope this helps you understand the best ways to start-up your company successfully and ensure that you don’t make any critical mistakes. By taking the right steps early, you should be able to guarantee the longevity of your company. 

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Essential Qualities to Look for in an Orthodontist

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An orthodontist is essentially a dentist who specializes in transforming crooked teeth into a set of perfectly straight and well-spaced pearly whites. If you know of people with retainers or braces on, then you’ve seen the handiwork of an orthodontist.

Now, not all orthodontists can offer similar benefits to patients because they have different skillsets and personalities. If you’re currently searching for one that matches your needs because your present orthodontist doesn’t provide the results that you expect, you have to read carefully. These are five qualities that you have to look for in your orthodontist:

  • They are skilled. Your orthodontist should be highly skilled at their craft and should have the ability to handle every imaginable concern of the client. For example, your orthodontist should know how to have different orthodontic appliancescreated that are requested by clients, such as retainers, distalizers, and space maintainers. These products should be customized to the client’s specifications and should be functional to provide their intended benefits.
  • They follow a holistic approach. The best orthodontists are known to have the foresight and not just a limited approach to ensuring the client’s great oral health. Your orthodontist should follow a holistic approach-meaning, they have to design an oral health care plan that encompasses your overall needs. Your orthodontist must understand what you want to achieve and what your oral health care needs are. This is so that you can be appropriately guided and motivated to adhere to a tailored plan towards realizing your personal goals.
  • They manage the client’s pain well. A lot of patients experience traumatic visits to dental clinics due to some painful procedures handled by an inexperienced or indifferent orthodontist. Whether it’s adjusting the braces or installing retainers, your orthodontist must know how to do things without causing unnecessary pain. In instances where a certain level of pain is inevitable, your orthodontist should manage it well through specific techniques like applying the pre-numbing gel before injecting anesthesia. Patients react to pain differently, and the orthodontist must be fully aware of such.
  • They are highly qualified and trained. Your orthodontist must have the necessary professional education and training in the field. They should be duly licensed and a member of industry organizations. You may simply ask for such credentials to be sure about the qualification of your orthodontist.
  • They offer a flexible schedule and reasonable rates. For patients with busy schedules, having an orthodontist who can offer flexible appointment schedules is a definite plus. The orthodontist should also charge reasonably. That means that they must have professional rates that are within the acceptable range. You may do quick research to know the going prices for specific orthodontic services so that you’ll know if your orthodontist is ripping you off or charging reasonably.

Use these qualities as your guide when scouting for an orthodontist. These essential traits should be more than enough to guarantee you a pleasant experience each time you come into your orthodontist’s clinic for a visit. You’ll also know that you’re getting the service that you should receive.

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What’s Next For The Oil And Gas Industry?

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Earlier in the year, the oil and gas industry went into shock. The pandemic led to a massive contraction in demand for the industry’s products, thanks to industrial and consumer squeeze. In short, businesses weren’t operating, and customers weren’t buying. 

Things got so bad at one point that the price of crude futures went negative. Owners were paying refineries and storage facilities to take excess production off their hands. It was a crazy situation – and something that had never happened to the market as a whole before. 

The oil and gas industry is having to deal with more secular long-term issues as well. The current crisis will eventually pass. But whether the industry has a future in its current state depends on a variety of factors and how they ultimately play out. 

Companies such as T Bailey Inc are currently supplying the oil and gas industry. But like so many other ancillary services to the industry, they’re diversifying their portfolio, striking out into other areas such as paper and pulp or marine. 

For many, the writing is on the wall. So what’s going to happen? 

Oil Demand Will Peak In 2022

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According to Our Energy Policy, the oil demand will peak around 2022 as we reach peak fossil fuel transportation. Countries like India and China are expanding their demand for ICE vehicles, which is likely to reach a head in a couple of years. 

From that point onwards, however, a combination of demand and supply factors are going to limit production and lead to the deployment of alternative technologies. 

On the demand side, we will see the number of new ICE vehicles hitting the road coming down substantially, replaced by hybrids and full battery-electrics. 

On the supply side, easy-to-access shale and ground oil wells are going to dry up, making it more costly to remove oil from the ground. Eventually, this will hit a critical point where the current low price of oil will have to rise. And when that happens, consumers will switch away from gas and find alternative, cheaper fuel sources for their vehicles. 

OPEC’s Role Is going To Change

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The role of OPEC is going to change as well. The organization is going to have to accept that it no longer has a monopoly on the transport market. Other producers, like Panasonic and Tesla, are now direct competition, thanks to technological innovation. 

Gas Will Continue To Expand

At the same time, the non-transport use of gas is going to continue to expand. Renewables are not yet able to provide a ready source of energy for grid load, and many governments see gas as a greener alternative to coal. Already, most western countries derive the majority of their power from gas outside the US. 

Financing New Projects Will Become More Difficult

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Finally, the oil and gas industry is going to find financing new projects more challenging. Many lenders will be skeptical of the long-term profitability of drilling for new oil fields if prices rise and demand for products falls. 

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Are You Making The Most Out Of Outsourcing?

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When it comes to your business, time is the most valuable commodity that you have. The problem is that the bigger and more successful your business becomes, the less time that you have. And, when you are doing everything that you possibly can to grow your business, you need that time more than ever.

It is a no-win situation for many small business owners; they spend so much time managing basic business tasks that the ones that will help them to grow are often neglected.

There is one way around this: outsourcing.

Outsourcing involved giving specific tasks to a third party, whether that be a freelancer on an ad-hoc basis or an agency which enters into a long-term contract with you.

 Here, we look at some of the tasks that you may want to consider outsourcing so you can focus on growing your business.

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Information technology services

As your business grows, you will need to consider implementing more sophisticated technology. It may be that you need to organise a network that remote workers can access easily, a software system for your retail business or just general IT needs. 

The problem with technology is that there is a lot that can go wrong, and it can be expensive to deal with. Outsourcing the management of your IT services to NetQuest means that you do not have to worry about this as there is always a team of IT experts on call to sort out any issues, and make sure it is running as smoothly and as efficiently as possible.

Accounting and finances

It can be overwhelming for a small business to manage payrolls effectively and everything to do with the financial organisation side. Outsourcing this service to experts has been shown to improve business performance and minimise costs. According to studies, businesses that have outsourced their accounting and financial save on average 18 per cent more than those who try to do it in house. Trying to do it on your own can lead to inaccurate payments and late filings, which incur fines. Hiring a third party or automated programme to perform accounting duties will significantly minimise these risks and save you money.

Marketing

Marketing is vital if your company is to succeed. Technological advances have made e-commerce, webshops, social media and online marketing important to small businesses. But, before you set up an in-house marketing department, ask yourself if this is economically sustainable. However, trying to do it all yourself can mean that you do not have enough time to attend to core business tasks. It is also a task that requires expert knowledge much of the time. 

Outsourcing certain operations will help your company grow while paying careful attention to core competencies. It is also usually more cost-effective to outsource these services compared to hiring full-time employees. Outsourcing would allow the company to concentrate on priorities instead of spending their time on tasks that could be best done by experts.

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