Carhartt Promotes Tony Ambroza To Newly Created Chief Brand Officer Role

DEARBORN, Mich. — November 14, 2017 — Carhartt has promoted Senior Vice President of Marketing Tony Ambroza to a newly created senior leadership role, chief brand officer. Ambroza will lead brand engagement across the entire consumer journey across critical touch points including TV commercials, social media, events, retail marketing, Carhartt’s Direct to Consumer (D2C) business and beyond to build an even deeper affinity between consumers and the Carhartt brand.

As chief brand officer, Ambroza will continue to scale the brand’s reach by championing Carhartt’s meaning, purpose and values while fiercely preserving its storied heritage. Under his leadership, the fast-growing D2C business will deliver the ultimate brand experience to hardworking people by creating seamless, inspiring engagements between Carhartt, the products and the people that matter most to the brand: its consumers. On the marketing side, Ambroza will continue to amplify Carhartt’s celebration of hard work and the brand’s role in the lives of hardworking people all over the world by sharing their Carhartt experiences.

“Tony is a visionary marketer and retailer who has helped our 128-year-old company succeed in a new age of selling,” said Linda Hubbard, president and COO, Carhartt. “Tony has taken on increased leadership responsibilities within our marketing and direct to consumer teams and has demonstrated strong leadership, strategic expertise, and the ability to build strong teams that consistently exceed goals. We are recognizing Tony’s leadership excellence across multiple aspects of the Carhartt organization with the new role of chief brand officer.”

Ambroza joined Carhartt in 2010 and his strong background in the apparel industry with extensive brand marketing experience have helped increase Carhartt’s brand awareness to its current all-time high. He has continued to build on the brand’s growth and momentum by widely sharing its brand story; Carhartt is a timeless, family-owned brand making authentic products for honest, hardworking, industrious people.

Over the past seven years, Ambroza and his team have expanded the brand across product categories, gender and generation, occupations from the trades to craftspeople to those who love the outdoors and those who work and live in the hottest and coldest climates on the planet. Carhartt’s authentic storytelling has allowed the brand to continually gain relevance with consumers of all ages as they see themselves in the real, hardworking people featured in Carhartt marketing.

Ambroza has scaled the D2C business by aligning it with the continually evolving marketing discipline to deliver a complete, 360 degree brand experience in service to hardworking people. Whether consumers are new to Carhartt and just discovering all that the brand has to offer, or are Carhartt loyalists who are looking for Carhartt’s newest product solutions, Ambroza and his team are focused on providing an authentic, unique and memorable brand experience for the country’s hardest-working men and women.

Prior to joining the Carhartt team, Ambroza worked at Under Armour Inc. as well as at Nike Inc.

Posted November 14, 2017

Source:  Carhartt, Inc.

New Reebok Sublite Cushion Tactical, AR670-1 Compliant Boot, Brings Lightweight Cushioning To Military Footwear

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — November 13, 2017 — Warson Brands, official licensee of Reebok for duty and uniform footwear, has introduced the new Reebok Sublite Cushion Tactical RB8808 tactical boot designed specifically for military professionals.

The RB8808 builds upon the success of the Reebok Sublite Cushion Tactical series by offering an AR670-1 compliant version in coyote brown for wear with the Army uniform.  “We’ve had very positive responses from law enforcement professionals wearing the Sublite, especially in regard to how lightweight the boot is, and we had several requests to make the boot in an AR670-1 compliant version for the military,” said John Duvic, vice president, Product Development at Warson Brands. “We thought through several details in the development of the RB8808: adding a lace garage to tuck away laces when blousing pants; incorporating a full rubber outsole with rope guard for additional traction and durability; and making the upper of genuine cattlehide leather for breathability and durability.”

The Sublite Cushion Tactical incorporates Sublite foam midsole technology to maximize cushioning while minimizing weight. The Sublite dual density foam midsole provides unparalleled lightweight cushioning for comfort and responsiveness. Deep flex grooves in the midsole allow for natural movement, letting feet bend and balance naturally. The boot also features a MemoryTech Massage Footbed that adapts to the unique contours of the foot and a slip resistant outsole that grips in slippery conditions.

The RB8808 will be available for purchase in February 2018 at an MSRP of $150.00. Reebok Duty will display the full line of Sublite Cushion Tactical boots, including black and sage green versions, at SHOT Show booth #10179.

Reebok duty footwear and the Sublite Cushion Tactical RB8808 are available through select retailers throughout the United States.

Posted November13, 2017

Source: Reebok International Ltd.

Go Green Synthetic Lawn Solutions Introduces Artificial Turf Solution For Reflective Burns

DALTON, Ga. — Nov. 8, 2017 — Go Green Synthetic Lawn Solutions has just announced the release of a new artificial grass product that provides a solution for an industry-wide issue with reflective burns caused by Low-E windows. With the introduction of the Platinum HeatMaxx® series, Go Green is the first and only manufacturer to offer a 15-year warranty against reflective burns.

With the increase of these Low-E windows to create a better energy efficient solution for both residential and commercial applications, the synthetic turf industry has been challenged with reflective conditions that create very high temperatures. These reflective conditions have been reported around the world, to burn and melt surfaces such as aluminum siding on houses, paint on cars, and, among many others, artificial lawns.

David Davis, president, Go Green stated, “We have been working for years to perfect our proprietary blend of nylon yarns to combat the heat issues our industry has been challenged with.”

Most synthetic lawns made of polypropylene and polyethylene have melt temperatures around 320°F.  Go Green’s Platinum HeatMaxx series made with nylon, have a melting point of 460°F. Because of this, they are able to withstand the high temperatures that exist in these reflective environments.

“This has been quite a frustrating problem for our entire industry,” said Michelle Balicki, vice president, Sales and Marketing. “The finger has been pointed at the artificial turf manufacturer to mitigate an issue that has affected homeowners, architects, and commercial properties of all kind. But the truth is, this is clearly a much more wide-spread problem that expands much farther than our industry. We are just very excited to be able to provide a solution.”

Posted November 13, 2017

Source: Go Green Synthetic Lawn Solutions

3rd Annual Hygienix™ Absorbent Hygiene And Personal Care Market Conference Delivers Strong Innovations And Education

CARY, N.C. — November 13, 2017 — Business leaders in the absorbent hygiene and personal care industry paid rapt attention to presentations on Femcare disruptors, material innovations, and demographics at INDA’s third annual HYGIENIX™ Conference last week in Austin, Texas, November 6-9. The successful event drew more than 530 participants from around the world and across the supply chain to advance their business in this important nonwovens and engineered materials sector.

Hygienix featured expert industry speakers from leading global companies that are revolutionizing the absorbent hygiene and personal care industry. The presentations focused on Brand Disruptors, Incontinence Perspectives: Consumer & Institutional, Incontinence Perspectives: Product & Positioning Opportunities, Diapers: Smart & Sustainable, Feminine Hygiene Disruptors, Performance & the Economics of Thinner Diapers, Cutting Edge Approaches to Odor Control, Game Changers: Machine & Technology Developments, Retail & Demographic Groundswells, and Material Science Developments in absorbent hygiene products.

A keynote presentation from Don Frey, chief innovation officer, The Honest Company, detailed how the company leveraged non-traditional marketing channels to become a world leader in personal care. Diane Sheehan, director, Kantar Retail, also delivered a keynote presentation that revealed how private labels are changing the absorbent hygiene landscape.

“Hygienix delivered big this year on valuable insights and innovations through the premium conference content on topics molding the absorbent hygiene industry,” said Dave Rousse, INDA president. “This event also brings the industry’s senior leadership to one place at one time. Participants were able to advance their business interests with both the leading edge conference content and over 15 hours of scheduled face-to-face interaction time.”

An event highlight was the presentation of INDA’s coveted Hygienix Innovation Award™ to Advanced Absorbent Technologies’ ALYNE™ Protective Underwear which manages fluid absorption in protective underwear by using multiple layers of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) that absorb at different rates, from quick absorption to complete absorption without bulkiness.

Other finalists for the award were Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies® Little Snugglers® Nano Preemie Diapers and Procter & Gamble Company’s Pampers® Swaddlers Preemie Diapers.

The Hygienix Conference presented the annual INDA Lifetime Service Award to Bob Averell, senior account manager, Auriga Polymers Inc., for his decades of service to INDA and the industry.

Education

More than 100 business leaders participated in a workshop focused on Absorbent Hygiene Products. Led by Carlos Richer, CEO/director, Richer Investment S.A. De C.V. and Eduardo Leal, managing director, Diaper Testing International S.A. De C.V., the workshop explored absorbent hygiene new products, product benchmarks, engineering, design and testing protocols across geographic markets.

Connections

The event included 52 tabletop displays exhibiting the latest in innovations and technologies from industry leaders and entrepreneurs. The displays were held in conjunction with two evening receptions attended by hundreds of professionals seeking for new partnerships and collaborators.

The next Hygienix Conference will be held November 5-8, 2018, at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

Posted November 13, 2017

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

DuPont Biomaterials Leader Michael Saltzberg To Speak At The Future Of Materials Summit

WILMINGTON, Del. — November 13, 2017 — DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) announced that Dr. Michael Saltzberg, global business director of DuPont Biomaterials, will participate in The Future of Materials Summit, beginning today in Luxembourg. Saltzberg will join other materials business leaders for a discussion on “Best Practices for New Materials’ Development,” led by Geoffrey Carr, science editor at The Economist and chair of the Summit.

As the leader of DuPont’s global biomaterials programs and business development, Saltzberg spearheads the development and commercialization of renewably sourced biochemicals and biomaterials based on plants rather than petroleum.

“Materials suppliers play a critical role in increasing the sustainability of supply chains across the industries that we serve, and we believe making high-performance and cost-efficient materials from plant-based feedstocks is part of the solution,” said Saltzberg. “I am looking forward to sharing the latest in DuPont’s biomaterials innovations with the group that The Economist has brought together for this Summit.”

One of DuPont’s core innovations in this space is Bio-PDO™ propanediol — a bio-based ingredient used in a variety of materials across a number of industries. DuPont™ Sorona® is one of those materials — a patented polymer that offers customers a more sustainable solution for fibers and other applications with better performance in key parameters than competing petroleum-based materials. Sorona is used around the world in the textile, carpeting, and automotive markets — bringing softness, crush resistance and stretch to a growing list of products, not to mention its superior life cycle compared to the petroleum-based products it often replaces.

In early 2016, DuPont partnered with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) to launch a breakthrough process to produce a bio-based monomer — furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) — from a renewable feedstock. One of the first polymers under development is polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate (PTF), a novel polyester made by combining FDME and Bio-PDO™. PTF is a 100-percent renewable that — when used to make bottles and other beverage packages — substantially improves gas-barrier properties compared to other polyesters. This kind of innovation is central to DuPont’s approach: by developing this renewably sourced monomer, the beverage industry will be able to create effective packages using less polymer than is required for current designs, resulting in significant benefits for customers and the environment.

At the Summit, Dr. Saltzberg also will address DuPont’s research into the commercialization of a completely new way to make high-performance polymers directly from sugar. This novel process — as illustrated in this video — uses an enzymatic process that closely mimics the way nature builds polymers like cellulose. He also plans to speak to materials manufacturers’ responsibility to enable environmentally friendly end-of-life solutions, acknowledging that diverse applications and markets are best served by different technical solutions. DuPont’s biomaterials team is working hard to help ensure that end-use markets are developed for recycled materials. For instance, DuPont recently announced a collaboration with Unifi to create high-performance, renewably sourced garment insulation made in part with recycled material and Sorona polymer, offering leading apparel brands a new sustainable choice for cold-weather products.

The Future of Materials Summit — which runs through November 14 — will analyze the modern materials “ecosystem” from research and development, through supply chains, to business applications and end of use. The Economist is bringing together leading manufacturers, scientists, technologists and policymakers for a discussion intended to better understand what is happening, and to illuminate the role of novel materials in the manufacturing industries of the future.

DuPont’s industry-leading excellence in the biomaterials industry has received a number of accolades over the past year, including the Platts Global Energy “Breakthrough Solution of the Year” award for the development partnership with ADM; Frost & Sullivan’s award for 2017 European Company of the Year Award for bio-based materials; and, most recently, PLASTICS’ 2017 Innovation in Bioplastics Award.

Posted November 13, 2017

Source: DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont)

EFI Connect 2018 to Feature Dedicated Educational Track for In-Plant Printing Professionals

FREMONT, Calif. — November 13, 2017 — Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) today announced a new element to its annual Connect users’ group conference: a dedicated educational track for in-plant printing professionals. This new education track at Connect 2018, to be held January 23-26 at the Wynn Las Vegas, is designed for supervisors and managers in prepress, production, and color management at corporate, education, financial, and government in-plants, CRDs, and print centers.

“In-plant printing departments represent a large portion of EFI’s Fiery® digital front end user base and we approached the educational program of next year’s conference with a deliberate emphasis on providing those customers the relevant, targeted, in-depth information they need to make their production operations more efficient and more valuable to their parent organizations,” said John Henze, vice president, marketing, EFI Fiery.

Connect’s debut in-plant educational track consists of 12 highly targeted sessions delivered by EFI experts and panels of in-plant peers. This track is designed to specifically address key issues identified by the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) through its industry research, including the need to drive print volumes using variable data, web-to-print storefronts, production digital toner and wide format printing. Additional sessions address how to market in-plant capabilities to internal clients, implementing workflow automation, achieving higher digital color printing quality, and training to develop employees. Connect 2018 will also feature a dedicated networking event for in-plant attendees.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the in-plant community to EFI Connect 2018 and to enhancing their experience with this dedicated track,” Henze added. “We expect this to be a fixture in future EFI Connect conferences as we work to address the specific needs and concerns of this important industry segment.”

In addition to its extensive educational tracks, the conference will feature a wide variety of integrated hardware and software solutions with EFI product managers and developers on hand to answers customers’ most detailed questions. EFI Connect is an ideal venue for open dialogue and idea exchange, giving customers a valuable opportunity to participate in educational sessions, receive hands-on experience, discuss industry trends, network with peers, voice their opinions, and learn from others.

Posted November 13, 2017

Source: Electronics For Imaging

Double-Duty Textile Developed By Stanford Researchers Could Warm Or Cool

STANFORD, Calif. — November 10, 2017 — Stanford researchers have developed a reversible fabric that, without expending effort or energy, keeps skin a comfortable temperature whatever the weather.

In a paper published November 10 in Science Advances, a team led by Yi Cui, professor of materials science and engineering, created a double-sided fabric based on the same material as everyday kitchen wrap. Their fabric can either warm or cool the wearer, depending which side faces out.

This project came out of Cui’s interest in energy efficiency and his expertise in manipulating nanoscale materials. He thought if people could be more comfortable in a range of temperatures, they could save energy on air conditioning and central heating.

“Why do you need to cool and heat the whole building? Why don’t you cool and heat individual people?” asked Cui.

Thirteen percent of all of the energy consumed in the United States is simply dedicated to indoor temperature control. But for every 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) that a thermostat is turned down, a building can save a whopping 10 percent of its heating energy, and the reverse is true for cooling. Adjusting temperature controls by just a few degrees has major effects on energy consumption.

Cooling kitchen wrap

Our bodies have many ways of controlling our temperature. When it’s cold, the hairs in our skin stand out to trap warm air. Eventually, we may start shivering to produce more radiant heat in our muscles. When it’s hot, we release heat as infrared radiation from our skin, and if we’re still warm we start to sweat. Water evaporating away from our bodies carries a large amount of heat with it. But those mechanisms only help within a few degrees. Get outside the temperature range to which our bodies can adapt, and we reach for the dial on the heating or air conditioning.

In 2016, the team announced a first step toward a solution: fabric that allowed the body’s heat to pass through, cooling the skin. Although they were inspired by transparent, water-impermeable kitchen wrap, their new material was opaque, breathable and retained its ability to shuttle infrared radiation away from the body. Compared to a cotton sample, their fabric kept artificial skin 2°C cooler in a laboratory test — possibly enough to stop a person from ever reaching for a fan or the building thermostat. The team’s first textile could save a building full of workers 20 to 30 percent of their total energy budget.

Reversible progress

“Right around when we figured out cooling, then came the question: Can you do heating?” said postdoctoral fellow Po-Chun Hsu, who was first author on the recent paper. It was a particularly chilly winter, and he was headed to a conference in Minneapolis with a carry-on bag full of coats. Could he create an article of clothing that would serve him in a crowded warm conference room as well as on the frosty street?

Hsu realized that controlling radiation could work both ways. He stacked two layers of material with different abilities to release heat energy, and then sandwiched them between layers of their cooling polyethylene.

On one side, a copper coating traps heat between a polyethylene layer and the skin; on the other, a carbon coating releases heat under another layer of polyethylene. Worn with the copper layer facing out, the material traps heat and warms the skin on cool days. With the carbon layer facing out, it releases heat, keeping the wearer cool.

Combined, the sandwiched material can increase a person’s range of comfortable temperatures over 10°F, and Hsu predicts that the potential range is much larger — close to 25°F. With inhabitants wearing a textile like that, buildings in some climates might never need air conditioning or central heating at all.

Practical polymers

The white-colored fabric isn’t quite wearable yet, the team said.

“Ideally, when we get to the stuff you want to wear on skin, we’ll need to make it into a fiber woven structure,” said Cui. Woven textiles are stronger, more elastic, more comfortable, and look much more like typical clothing. But good news: They’ve already started testing to make sure their fabric will be machine washable.

“From my perspective, this work really highlights the significant opportunities in combining thermal engineering concepts with nanophotonic structures for creating novel functionalities,” said Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering who participated in the work.

The team’s ambitions are to create an easily manufactured, practical textile that people could use to save huge amounts of energy around the world. And they don’t stop there – Cui, Hsu and Fan envision clothing with medical devices and even entertainment printed right into the fabric.

“I think we are only seeing the beginning of many creative ideas that can come out of such combinations,” Fan said.

Cui is also professor of photon science at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and a member of Stanford Bio-X, the Precourt Institute for Energy and the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. Fan is also an affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy. Other Stanford researchers who contributed to the study are postdoctoral fellows Chong Liu, Alex Y. Song, Jin Xie, Kai Liu and Lili Cai; graduate students Ze Zhang, Yucan Peng, Chun-Lan Wu and Shang Zhai; senior research engineer Peter B. Catrysse; and Arun Majumdar, a professor of mechanical engineering and of photon science and co-director of the Precourt Institute for Energy.

The work was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, U.S. Department of Energy.

Posted November 10, 2017

Source: Stanford News Service

OurSock.com: Online Custom Sock Company Launches Nationally

LAKEVILLE, Conn. — November 9, 2017 —  OurSock.com has launched as an online custom sock company that caters to universities, prep schools and companies as a one-stop shop for sock design and manufacturing. Andrew Epprecht, a 2017 graduate of The Hotchkiss School, in Lakeville, Conn., designed and manufactured custom socks for his alma mater to great success, which led to the birth of OurSock.com.

“In an age where ‘brand promotion’ is paramount, we see OurSock.com as a creative way for schools and companies to do just that,” Epprecht said. “OurSock.com offers a service that allows institutions and companies a great way to incorporate their logos into an item that everyone uses on a daily basis.”

OurSock.com pitches branded socks for schools as gifts or rewards to students and alumni as a simple and easy way to drum up school spirit.

“We know that young alumni are critical but challenging targets for schools to engage,” Epprecht said. “Providing custom socks is an innovative way to differentiate outreach strategy to address this group. For non-profits, it’s also a great way to retain and reward volunteers.”

Early success with several east coast prep schools had OurSock.com looking to expand its reach, with Epprecht and his staff reaching out to potential customers and branching out to new industries like charities and hospitals. A redesigned website was launched to accommodate the expanded customer base.

Running a business at just 18 years old might sound daunting, but for Epprecht, it’s actually old hat.

“I was 15 when I started my first business, a sock company called Noble Stitch,” he said. “I hoped to revitalize a common clothing item by crowdsourcing designs for casual dress socks made from eco-friendly bamboo fiber. We’ve spent years perfecting the material content and now use the same unique bamboo cotton blend in the socks we offer for OurSock.com.”

Epprecht is taking a gap year to expand OurSock.com before beginning classes at Duke University in the fall of 2018.

“I knew I wanted to go to Duke when I heard about the Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program,” he said. “It’s a program that helps undergraduate entrepreneurs navigate the difficult entrepreneurial landscape by pairing them with mentors, and teaching them hands-on skills to succeed.”

Posted November 10, 2017

Source:  OurSock.com

Fazzini Chooses Just PLM By Up Solutions For A Better Design Management

LOMAZZO, Italy — November 3, 2017 — Founded in 1976, Fazzini is a company specialized in textile products for domestic use, now established as a leading player on the Italian textile manufacturing market, with a concept store and serving more than 700 Italian customers.

Starting from 2014, in order to create a better system for collaboration and standardization, Fazzini chose Just PLM (part of the complete Just MES suite) developed by Up Solutions, an Italy-based company with headquarters in the technology hub of ComoNExT. This solutions provided a centralized Product Lifecycle Management platform for Fazzini Home and all the individual people working both inside and outside the company.

According to the leadership at Fazzini Home, a very positive relationship has been built with Up Solutions’ project team, due to their high flexibility and great responsiveness.

Posted November 10, 2017

Source: Up Solutions Srl

Snowsound-Fiber™ Redefines Acoustic Treatments

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — November 10, 2017 — Acoustic panel manufacturer Snowsound now is providing new patented Snowsound-Fiber textile products that expand the category, meeting the growing demand for acoustic comfort. The increasing need to live and work in quiet spaces and reduce acoustic reverberation can now be met creatively with these new fabrics.

“Snowsound’s new sound-absorbing textiles optimize room acoustics, providing complementary applications that perform unlike any existing material in the fabric industry,” explained Michael Dardashti, Snowsound Executive Vice President for North America. “These acoustic fabrics are available in 41 texture/color combinations that designers and architects will embrace. You really have to see, touch and experience these textiles to fully appreciate them.” Sold in rolls, Snowsound-Fiber textiles can be used for window/roller shades, curtains, partitions, sheers, draperies, upholstery, canopies and a myriad of other applications. Unlike most other textiles, they offer significant sound absorption properties due to completely unique technology. Depending upon the fiber type and installation, NRCs of 1.0 are achievable; performing even better than traditional padded acoustical panels.

Snowsound-Fiber textiles come in six different patented microscopic weave geometries, each offering a distinct tactile experience. From rich 1.7 millimeters (mm) velvet to 0.6 mm sheer fabric, the visual experience is as impressive as the underlying acoustic technology is effective. Fabric weight varies from 6.5 ounces per square yard (oz/yd2) to 13.5 oz/yd2. Made from high-quality 100-percent polyester fiber, these textiles are all flammability tested, GREENGUARD Gold certified and 100-percent recyclable, producing durable, environmentally sustainable solutions. Snowsound-Fiber does not contain felt, wool or other organic materials that are difficult to recycle. All have been tested for color fastness and abrasion. Five types can be washed and ironed — one of these even has bacteriostatic, fused, silver ions which are ideal for healthcare environments.

These fiber materials have different technical properties that address diverse applications and environments, blending with the style of a given space to meet the interior design objectives. The installation flexibility provides the designer creative ways to coordinate with furniture.

Diesis™ is a Snowsound-Fiber object that won a Best of NeoCon Silver Award this June. It is a distinctively shaped velvet drapery — made of 100-percent polyester with polyester thread stitching. The combination of the fabric object design and air gap layers creates a significant sound absorbing solution. The free-standing version is attached to an upper structure with a removable steel plate. The ceiling attached version uses steel aircraft cable equipped with metal ball bearings to allow free rotation. Bemolle™ is a wall mounted Snowsound-Fiber object, while Sipario™ is a wall mounted triangular shaped object that won a Best of NeoCon Silver Award in 2016.

The combination of these unique features, ease of use, installation convenience, and application versatility is why architects and interior designers prefer Snowsound to other acoustic solutions. Snowsound-Fiber products and rolls of acoustic fabrics are available in a variety of colors. Visit our website to learn more.

Posted November 10, 2017

Source: Snowsound

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