The Haabʼ ( Mayan pronunciation: [haːɓ] ) is part of the Maya calendric system . It was a 365-day calendar used by many of the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica .
64-492: The Haabʼ comprises eighteen months of twenty days each, plus an additional period of five days ("nameless days") at the end of the year known as Wayeb' (or Uayeb in 16th-century orthography). Bricker (1982) estimates that the Haabʼ was first used around 500 BCE with a starting point of the winter solstice . The Haabʼ month names are most commonly referred to by their names in colonial-era Yucatec (Yukatek) . In sequence, these (in
128-540: A ban on slaughterhouses: in Sentience Institute ’s 2017 survey on attitudes towards animal farming with 1,094 US adults 49% of them "support a ban on factory farming, 47% support a ban on slaughterhouses, and 33% support a ban on animal farming”. The 2017 survey was replicated by researchers at the Oklahoma State University , who found similar results. They also got 73% of respondents answering “yes” to
192-487: A blunt instrument, sometimes followed by exsanguination with a knife. The belief that this was unnecessarily cruel and painful to the animal eventually led to the adoption of specific stunning and slaughter methods in many countries. One of the first campaigners on the matter was the eminent physician, Benjamin Ward Richardson , who spent many years of his later working life developing more humane methods of slaughter as
256-475: A certain point around that time. The earliest sunset and latest sunrise dates differ from winter solstice, however, and these depend on latitude, due to the variation in the solar day throughout the year caused by the Earth's elliptical orbit (see earliest and latest sunrise and sunset ). Animal slaughter Animal slaughter is the killing of animals , usually referring to killing domestic livestock . It
320-549: A finger or limb per month. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that over a period of six years, in the UK 78 slaughter workers lost fingers, parts of fingers or limbs, more than 800 workers had serious injuries, and at least 4,500 had to take more than three days off after accidents. In a 2018 study in the Italian Journal of Food Safety, slaughterhouse workers are instructed to wear ear protectors to protect their hearing from
384-433: A hog in the eye that's walking around in the blood pit with you and think, ‘God, that really isn't a bad looking animal.’ You may want to pet it. Pigs down on the kill floor have come up to nuzzle me like a puppy. Two minutes later I had to kill them – beat them to death with a pipe. I can't care. The act of slaughtering animals, or of raising or transporting animals for slaughter, may engender psychological stress or trauma in
448-527: A professor at Trinity College Dublin , though this theory "is nowadays used as the default explanation for the choice of 25 December as Christ's birthday, few advocates of this theory seem to be aware of how paltry the available evidence actually is." In Anglo-Saxon England the winter solstice was generally deemed to be December 25, and in Old English , midwinter could mean both the winter solstice and Christmas . The North Germanic peoples celebrated
512-619: A result of attempting to discover and adapt substances capable of producing general or local anaesthesia to relieve pain in people. As early as 1853, he designed a chamber that could kill animals by gassing them. He also founded the Model Abattoir Society in 1882 to investigate and campaign for humane methods of slaughter and experimented with the use of electric current at the Royal Polytechnic Institution . The development of stunning technologies occurred largely in
576-454: A significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rites . It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again. Some ancient monuments such as Newgrange , Stonehenge , Cahokia Woodhenge , and Ahu Tongariki are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice. There is evidence that
640-693: A winter holiday called Yule . The Heimskringla , written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson , describes a Yule feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920–961). According to Snorri, the Christian Haakon had moved Yule from "midwinter" and aligned it with the Christian Christmas celebration. Historically, this has made some scholars believe that Yule originally
704-587: Is a festival day in the Hindu calendar , in reference to deity Surya (sun). It is observed each year in January. It marks the first day of Sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn) , marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Iranian people celebrate the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice as, " Yalda night ", which is known to be the "longest and darkest night of
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#1732851895725768-405: Is also used synonymously with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well. Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter; although today in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of winter. Other names are the "extreme of winter" ( Dongzhi ), or the "shortest day". Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been
832-474: Is celebrated between December 22 and January 6. Buzmi is a ritualistic piece of wood (or several pieces of wood) that is put to burn in the fire ( zjarri ) of the hearth ( vatër ) on the night of a winter celebration that falls after the return of the Sun for summer (after the winter solstice), sometimes on the night of Kërshëndella on December 24 ( Christmas Eve ), sometimes on the night of kolendra , or sometimes on New Year's Day or on any other occasion aound
896-498: Is day 5 of Wayebʼ. For the majority, the first day of the year was Seating Pop. This was followed by 1 Pop, 2 Pop ... 19 Pop, Seating Wo, 1 Wo and so on. Inscriptions on The Temple of the Cross at Palenque shows clearly that the Maya were aware of the true length of the year, even though they did not employ the use of leap days in their system of calculations generally. J. Eric Thompson wrote that
960-406: Is estimated that each year, 80 billion land animals are slaughtered for food. Most animals are slaughtered for food ; however, they may also be slaughtered for other reasons such as for harvesting of pelts , being diseased and unsuitable for consumption, or being surplus for maintaining a breeding stock . Slaughter typically involves some initial cutting, opening the major body cavities to remove
1024-494: Is in accordance with the Qur’an . To slaughter an animal is to cause it to pass from a living state to a dead state. For the meat to be lawful ( Halal ) according to Islam, it must come from an animal which is a member of a lawful species and it must be ritually slaughtered, i.e. according to the Law, or the sole code recognized by the group as legitimate. The animal is killed in ways similar to
1088-459: Is made in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe to assure that such animals, or the unwholesome parts or products thereof, will be prevented from being used for human food purposes." The 2004 report to US Congress titled “Animal Rendering: Economics and Policy”, available in the library of Congressional Research Service, in the ‘Introduction’ paragraph explains Renderers in
1152-743: Is not widely available outside India. Jhatka meat is also often considered to be the preferred method of slaughter for Sikhs in India and abroad. In 2010, Human Rights Watch described slaughterhouse line work in the United States as a human rights crime. Slaughterhouses in the United States commonly illegally employ and exploit underage workers and illegal immigrants. In a report by Oxfam America , slaughterhouse workers were observed not being allowed breaks, were often required to wear diapers, and were paid below minimum wage. American slaughterhouse workers are three times more likely to suffer serious injury than
1216-462: Is the house cricket ), and increasingly, fish in the aquaculture industry ( fish farming ). In 2020, Faunalytics reported that the countries with the largest number of slaughtered cows and chickens are China, the United States, and Brazil. Concerning pigs, they are slaughtered by far the most in China, followed by the United States, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, and Brazil. For sheep, again China slaughtered
1280-571: Is the summer solstice . The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter . In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (December 21, December 22, or December 23) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (June 20, June 21, or June 22). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs. The term midwinter
1344-546: Is the overarching term accounting for various methods of slaughter used by religions around the world for food production. While keeping religious autonomy, these methods of slaughter, within the United States, are governed by the Humane Slaughter Act and various religion-specific laws, most notably, Shechita and Dhabihah . Animal slaughter in Judaism falls in accordance to the religious law of Shechita . In preparation,
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#17328518957251408-570: The Saturnalia (December 17–23), Rome's most joyous holiday season since Republican times, characterized by parties, banquets, and exchanges of gifts". A widely-held theory is that the Church chose December 25 as Christ's birthday ( Dies Natalis Christi ) to appropriate the Roman winter solstice festival marking the sun god's birthday ( Dies Natalis Solis Invicti ). According to C. Philipp E. Nothaft,
1472-447: The Sun . This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern ). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, and when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. Each polar region experiences continuous darkness or twilight around its winter solstice. The opposite event
1536-477: The entrails and offal but usually leaving the carcass in one piece. Such dressing can be done by hunters in the field (field dressing of game ) or in a slaughterhouse . Later, the carcass is usually butchered into smaller cuts. The animals most commonly slaughtered for food are cattle and water buffalo , sheep , goats , pigs , deers , horses , rabbits , poultry (mainly chickens , turkeys , ducks and geese ), insects (a commercial species
1600-619: The talmudic hypothesis that Adam first established the tradition of fasting before the winter solstice , and rejoicing afterward, which festival later developed into the Roman Saturnalia and Kalendae . When the First Man saw that the day was continuously shortening, he said, "Woe is me! Because I have sinned, the world darkens around me, and returns to formlessless and void. This is the death to which Heaven has sentenced me!" He decided to spend eight days in fasting and prayer. When he saw
1664-622: The "worst of both worlds", as it mean that the slaughter methods now caused distress to conspecifics without reliably ensuring the animals were killed before regaining consciousness. In the United States , the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) specifies the approved methods of livestock slaughter: Each of these methods is outlined in detail, and the regulations require that inspectors identify operations which cause "undue" "excitement and discomfort" of animals. In 1958,
1728-481: The Jewish ritual with the throat being slit (dhabh), resulting in a quick drop in blood pressure, restricting blood to the brain. This abrupt loss of pressure results in the rapid and irreversible cessation of consciousness and sensibility to pain (a requirement held in high regard by most institutions). The slaughterer must say Bismillah (In the name of Allah/God) before slaughtering the animal. Blood must be drained out of
1792-408: The Maya knew of the drift between the Haabʼ and the solar year and that they made "calculations as to the rate at which the error accumulated, but these were merely noted as corrections they were not used to change the calendar." The five nameless days at the end of the calendar, called Wayebʼ, was thought to be a dangerous time. Foster (2002) writes "During Wayeb, portals between the mortal realm and
1856-492: The Meat Inspection Regulations. The CFIA's humane slaughter requirements take effect when the animals arrive at the federally registered slaughter establishment. Industry is required to comply with the Meat Inspection Regulations for all animals under their care. The Meat Inspection Regulations define the conditions for the humane slaughter of all species of food animals in federally registered establishments. Some of
1920-549: The PTSD Journal explain, "These employees are hired to kill animals, such as pigs and cows that are largely gentle creatures. Carrying out this action requires workers to disconnect from what they are doing and from the creature standing before them. This emotional dissonance can lead to consequences such as domestic violence, social withdrawal, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and PTSD." Even though around 90% of US adults regularly consume meat, almost half of them appear to support
1984-799: The Slaughter of Animals Act 1933. This made the mechanical stunning of cows and electrical stunning of pigs compulsory, with the exception of Jewish and Muslim meat . Modern methods, such as the captive bolt pistol and electric tongs were required, and the act's wording specifically outlawed the poleaxe . The period was marked by the development of various innovations in slaughterhouse technologies, not all of them particularly long-lasting. Various methods are used to kill or render an animal unconscious during animal slaughter. Whether animals are stunned before slaughter or not, they suffer stress while waiting to be killed. A 1996 veterinary review found that there are many ways in which animals suffer and die during
Haabʼ - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-658: The US and Canada convert dead animals and other waste material into sellable products: “Renderers convert dead animals and animal parts that otherwise would require disposal into a variety of materials, including edible and inedible tallow and lard and proteins such as meat and bone meal (MBM). These materials in turn are exported or sold to domestic manufacturers of a wide range of industrial and consumer goods such as livestock feed and pet food, soaps, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, plastics, personal care products, and even crayons.” Although some authors have found health problems associated with
2112-540: The Underworld dissolved. No boundaries prevented the ill-intending deities from causing disasters." To ward off these evil spirits, the Mayans had customs and rituals they practised during Wayebʼ. For example, the Mayans would not leave their homes and wash their hair. Winter solstice The winter solstice , also called the hibernal solstice , occurs when either of Earth 's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from
2176-404: The angular diameter of the Sun. Observing that it occurred within a two-day period is easier, requiring an observation precision of only about 1/16 of the angular diameter of the Sun. Thus, many observations are of the day of the solstice rather than the instant. This is often done by observing sunrise and sunset or using an astronomically aligned instrument that allows a ray of light to be cast on
2240-658: The animal being prepared for slaughter must be considered kosher (fit) before the act of slaughter can commence and consumed. The basic law of the Shechita process requires the rapid and uninterrupted severance of the major vital organs and vessels. They slit the throat, resulting in a quick drop in blood pressure, restricting blood to the brain. This abrupt loss of pressure results in the rapid and irreversible cessation of consciousness and sensibility to pain (a requirement held in high regard by most institutions). Animal slaughtering in Islam
2304-459: The average American worker. NPR reports that pig and cattle slaughterhouse workers are nearly seven times more likely to suffer repetitive strain injuries than average. The Guardian reports that on average there are two amputations a week involving slaughterhouse workers in the United States . On average, one employee of Tyson Foods , the largest meat producer in America, is injured and amputates
2368-528: The carcass. The practice of Jhatka in India developed out of the Sikh tradition in accordance with the value of Ahimsa (no harm). Sikhs believe that an animal should be slaughtered quickly and with as little pain as possible in order to reduce bad Karma that may result from such a practice. In India today most establishments will provide both Halal and Jhatka options for dishes containing chicken and lamb. Jhatka meat
2432-424: The carcasses of any animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, shall buy, sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in commerce, or import, any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines, or parts of the carcasses of any such animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, unless such transaction, transportation or importation
2496-609: The constant screams of animals being killed. A 2004 study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that "excess risks were observed for mortality from all causes, all cancers, and lung cancer" in workers employed in the New Zealand meat processing industry. The worst thing, worse than the physical danger, is the emotional toll. If you work in the stick pit [where hogs are killed] for any period of time—that let’s [sic] you kill things but doesn't let you care. You may look
2560-451: The consumption of 4D meat by certain species in its raw form, or found it potentially hazardous, FDA considers it fit for animal consumption: "Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption." Ritual slaughter
2624-623: The first half of the twentieth century. In 1911, the Council of Justice to Animals (later the Humane Slaughter Association, or HSA) was established in England to improve the slaughter of livestock. In the early 1920s, the HSA introduced and demonstrated a mechanical stunner, which led to the adoption of humane stunning by many local authorities. The HSA went on to play a key role in the passage of
Haabʼ - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-601: The house, kinship or neighborhood, a practice performed in order to give strength to the Sun according to the old beliefs. The rites related to the cult of vegetation, which expressed the desire for increased production in agriculture and animal husbandry, were accompanied by animal sacrifices to the fire, lighting pine trees at night, luck divination tests with crackling in the fire or with coins in ritual bread, making and consuming ritual foods, performing various magical ritualistic actions in livestock, fields, vineyards and orchards, and so on. Nata e Buzmit, " Yule log 's night",
2752-509: The law that is enforced today by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was passed as the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958. This Act requires the proper treatment and humane handling of all food animals slaughtered in USDA inspected slaughter plants. It does not apply to chickens or other birds. Meat from animals which are dead, diseased, disabled or dying (4-D meat) on the arrival at
2816-430: The most, this time followed by Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, the amount (in tonnes) of fish used for production is highest in China, Indonesia, Peru, India, Russia, and the United States (in that order). The use of a sharpened blade for the slaughtering of livestock has been practised throughout history. Prior to the development of electric stunning equipment, some species were killed by simply striking them with
2880-613: The people involved. A 2016 study in Organization indicates, "Regression analyses of data from 10,605 Danish workers across 44 occupations suggest that slaughterhouse workers consistently experience lower physical and psychological well-being along with increased incidences of negative coping behavior." A 2009 study by criminologist Amy Fitzgerald indicates, "slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries." As authors from
2944-461: The precise timing of its occurrence is now public knowledge. The precise instant of the solstice cannot be directly detected (by definition, people cannot observe that an object has stopped moving until it is later observed that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). To be precise to a single day, observers must be able to view a change in azimuth or elevation less than or equal to about 1/60 of
3008-912: The preslaughter period. They include: The measures for sanitary checks, animal welfare protection and slaughtering procedures are harmonised throughout the European Union, and detailed by the European Commissions' regulations CE 853/2004, 854/2004 and 1099/2009. In Canada, the handling and slaughter of food animals is a shared responsibility of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), industry, stakeholders, transporters, operators and every person who handles live animals. Canadian law requires that all federally registered slaughter establishments ensure that all species of food animals are handled and slaughtered humanely. The CFIA verifies that federal slaughter establishments are compliant with
3072-541: The provisions contained in the regulations include: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) is the main governing body responsible for legislation and codes of practice covering animal slaughter in the UK. In the UK the methods of slaughter are largely the same as those used in the United States with some differences. The use of captive bolt equipment and electrical stunning are approved methods of stunning sheep, goats, cattle and calves for consumption - with
3136-743: The question “Were you aware that slaughterhouses are where livestock are killed and processed into meat, such that, without them, you would not be able to consume meat?”. In the United States, many public protest slaughters were held in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the National Farmers Organization . Protesting low prices for meat, farmers would kill their own animals in front of media representatives. The carcasses were wasted and not eaten. However, this effort backfired because it angered television audiences to see animals being needlessly and wastefully killed. There has been controversy over whether or not animals should be slaughtered and over
3200-409: The revised orthography) are as seen on the right: Each day in the Haabʼ calendar was identified by a day number within the month followed by the name of the month. Day numbers began with a glyph translated as the "seating of" a named month, which is usually regarded as day 0 of that month, although a minority treat it as day 20 of the month preceding the named month. In the latter case, the seating of Pop
3264-564: The same period, a tradition that is originally related to the cult of the Sun. In East Asia , the winter solstice has been celebrated as one of the Twenty-four Solar Terms , called Dongzhi (冬至) in Chinese . In Japan , in order not to catch cold in the winter, there is a custom to soak oneself in a yuzu hot bath ( Japanese : 柚子湯 = Yuzuyu). Makara Sankranti, also known as Makara Sankrānti ( Sanskrit : मकर संक्रांति) or Maghi,
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#17328518957253328-406: The seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere). Livestock were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available. Because the winter solstice is the reversal of the Sun's apparent ebbing in
3392-615: The sky, in ancient times it was seen as the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun or of a Sun god . In cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the "year as reborn" was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or "new beginnings" (such as Hogmanay 's redding , a New Year cleaning tradition), and "reversal" (as in Saturnalia 's slave and master reversals). Some important Neolithic and early Bronze Age archaeological sites in Europe are associated with
3456-519: The slaughterhouse is often salvaged for rendering , and used by a wide range of industries including pet food manufacturers, zoos, greyhound kennels, and mink ranches. The U.S. Code (Title 21, Chapter 12, Subchapter II, § 644) Regulates transactions, transportation, or importation of 4–D animals to prevent use as human food: "No person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, or transporting in commerce, or importing, dead, dying, disabled, or diseased animals, or any parts of
3520-423: The stunned animal, increasing the risk the animal would regain consciousness and it was consequently recommended that slaughter in front of conspecifics be permitted alongside a mandatory limit on stun-to-kill time. Legislation was introduced which allowed animals to be slaughtered in sight of their conspecifics but there was no legislation for a legal maximum stun-to-kill time. Some critics argue that this resulted in
3584-405: The use of gas reserved for swine. Until 2004, it was illegal to slaughter animals in sight of their conspecifics (members of the same species) because it was thought to cause them distress. However, there was a concern that moving the animals away from their conspecifics to a different place to be slaughtered would increase the stun-to-kill time (time between stunning the animal and killing it) for
3648-648: The various methods used. Some people believe sentient beings should not be harmed regardless of the purpose, or that meat production is an insufficient justification for harm. Religious slaughter laws and practices have always been a subject of debate, and the certification and labeling of meat products remain to be standardized. Animal welfare concerns are being addressed to improve slaughter practices by providing more training and new regulations. There are differences between conventional and religious slaughter practices, although both have been criticized on grounds of animal welfare. Concerns about religious slaughter focus on
3712-529: The winter solstice celebrate the return of the Sun ( Dielli ) for summer and the lengthening of the days. The Albanian traditional rites during the winter solstice period are pagan, and very ancient. Albanologist Johann Georg von Hahn (1811 – 1869) reported that Christian clergy, during his time and before, have vigorously fought the pagan rites that were practiced by Albanians to celebrate this festivity, but without success. The old rites of this festivity were accompanied by collective fires ( zjarre ) based on
3776-461: The winter solstice was deemed an important moment of the annual cycle for some cultures as far back as the Neolithic (New Stone Age). Astronomical events were often used to guide farming activities, such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food. The winter solstice was important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of
3840-585: The winter solstice, and he saw that the day was continuously lengthening, he said, "It is the order of the world!" He went and feasted for eight days. The following year, he feasted for both. He established them in Heaven's name, but they established them in the name of idolatry Although the instant of the solstice can be calculated, direct observation of the moment by visual perception is elusive. The Sun moves too slowly or appears to stand still (the meaning of "solstice"). However, by use of astronomical data tracking ,
3904-523: The winter solstice, such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). It is significant that at Stonehenge the Great Trilithon was oriented outwards from the middle of the monument, i.e. its smooth flat face
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#17328518957253968-546: The year". Yalda night celebration, or as some call it "Shabe Chelleh" ("the 40th night"), is one of the oldest Iranian traditions that has been present in Persian culture from ancient times. In this night all the family gather together, usually at the house of the eldest, and celebrate it by eating, drinking and reciting poetry (esp. Hafez). Nuts, pomegranates and watermelons are particularly served during this festival. An Aggadic legend found in tractate Avodah Zarah 8a puts forth
4032-618: Was a sun festival on the winter solstice. Modern scholars generally do not believe this, as midwinter in medieval Iceland was a date about four weeks after the solstice. During the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples , Yule was incorporated into the Christmas celebrations and the term and its cognates remain used to refer to Christmas in modern Northern European languages such as English and Swedish. Albanian traditional festivities around
4096-419: Was turned towards the midwinter Sun. In the ancient Roman calendar, December 25 was the date of the winter solstice. In AD 274, the emperor Aurelian made this the date of the festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti , the birthday of Sol Invictus or the 'Invincible Sun'. Gary Forsythe, Professor of Ancient History, says "This celebration would have formed a welcome addition to the seven-day period of
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