| Children
of Clay
by Ed Thomas, Ed.D.
Iowa K-12
Health and Physical Education Consultant
|
|
Naturam
non vinces nisi parendo |
|
“You will not master Nature
unless you obey Her,” said the
Ancients. We must conform to Her fixed
and indisputable laws to live in harmony
with Her. Follow Her rules, and we
will grow beautifully formed. Disobey
Her, and She will deform us.
One of our
best historical models for living
compatibly with Nature is the Ancient
Greek. Discipline, symmetry, beauty,
strength, endurance, agility, and
graceful harmony were admired, sought
and often attained. The Persian Wars
brought continued urgency and personal
responsibility to Greek physical culture,
and athletic games provided opportunity
to put aside mundane strife in favor
of activities more transcendent in
form and nature. Thousands of years
later, the Ancients still offer us
a compelling and rational paradigm
for physical education.
From the Ancient
Greeks, we are taught to see the human
organism as a temporary vehicle through
which divine unity and its subordinate
stages can be sought, experienced
and celebrated. The beauty of their
language frees us from the decay of
our own. Their art provides an ideal
of the human form. The crumbling statues
from their vanished cultures remind
us that we too will be dust, and precious
life should not be wasted on anything
less than the pursuit and love of
truth, beauty and wisdom.
From the historical,
linguistic and sociocultural high
ground, the physical
|
educator’s
responsibilities are enormous.
"Nations have passed away and left
no trace, and history gives the naked
cause of it,” wrote Rudyard Kipling.
“One single, simple reason in all
cases; they fell because their people
were not fit." Physical fitness includes
physique, organic function and motor
skills. All of these are impacted
by posture and body mechanics. Physical
educators are the first line of defense
against the unnatural influences that
would deform our children. We are
charged with guiding their motor development
across the precarious bridge between
childhood and adolescence. By the
post-secondary level, we should be
helping them add the final touches
to their symmetrical, proportional
and highly efficient forms.
This is the ideal.
 |
| Ill-fitting
furniture including flat desks
are a crime against children
and youth.
This is clearly a physical education
issue. |
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1
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The
reality is that postural deformities
and poor body mechanics are epidemic.
Our precious youngsters are growing
steadily more inert, malformed and
clumsy. Fortunate are those who survive
the education gauntlet with minimal
damage and defects. It is not for
a lack of historical evidence that
we fail to effectively address the
importance of good posture and body
mechanics. It simply fell off the
radar. Throughout the K-12 experience,
youngsters fully capable of being
taught to move gracefully and efficiently
are victimized by an educational system
that reinforces poor posture and body
management skills. Probably more a
crime of omission than commission,
it remains to be seen whether the
paradigm will shift.
Posture can
be simply defined as, “Any position
in which the body resides.”
Good posture is a rational adjustment
of the various parts to each other
and of the body as a whole to its
environment, task or work. The complex
human organism is constantly in motion,
so our posture is continually shifting.
Body mechanics is posture’s
close relative.
In 1932, the Orthopedics
and Body Mechanics Subcommittee of
the Hoover White House Conference
on Child Health and Protection defined
body mechanics as "The mechanical
correlation of the various systems
of the body with special references
to the skeletal, muscular, and visceral
systems and their neurological associations.”
In other words, good posture and body
mechanics are the foundations of motor
development. If we taught nothing
else, these would stand first in line
for attention.
Ptosis (drooping
or falling) is one of the primary
problems associated with poor posture
and body alignment. Skeletal ptosis
manifests as a forward dropping of
the head and variousunnatural
spinal curves with rotation and displacement.
Visceral ptosis
is another common condition where
an organ or organs are |
displaced
downward.
The common hyperflexed slump seen
among our children and adults displaces
the lungs, heart, liver, intestines,
and other vital organs. Exterior structural
adaptations and indicators often include
rounded shoulders, a flattened chest
and protruding abdomen. Blood ptosis
is a downward displacement and collection
of blood in the splanchnic veins of
the abdomen caused by insufficient
nervous control of the splanchnic
veins that must work against gravity
to do their job. Weak abdominal muscles
contribute to the problem.
|
Ptosis
is a common, unsightly
and preventable postural deformity. |
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2
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| Occupation,
disease, poor care in infancy, and
malconceived physical education curriculums
are a few of the obvious influences
that can impair postural development.
Other subtle and overlooked factors
such as ill-fitting school furniture
and extensive practice of specific
sport skills early in life have not,
in the recent past, been widely acknowledged.
Overall, a complex set of issues involving
heredity, environment and habits must
all be considered, but one of Nature’s
most important realities is that gravity
molds us.
We are living clay, and Nature’s
gravity is like the potter’s
hands molding and shaping us. To exist
in harmony with Nature, we must also
live compatibly with gravity. One
of the most enduring explanations
for our troublesome relationship with
gravity is that our ancestors were
quadrupeds. Somewhere in history,
the theory goes, we decided to stand
our quadruped skeleton up on its hind
legs. With all its benefits, the upright
bipedal posture presents some serious
kinesiological challenges. Our many
moving parts must constantly seek
a center of gravity to avoid unwanted
stress and strain. This requires tremendous
muscular balance and neural coordination.
Slight misalignments anywhere in the
system create imbalance throughout
the organism, and a pernicious cycle
of structural and functional defects
follows. A return to all fours is
not a popular option, and not everyone
agrees that postural deformities and
the suffering that accompanies them
are the price we must pay for walking
on our hind legs. Dr. Robert M. Martin
challenged the evolutionary theory
of postural develop |
-ment
in the early 1960’s, and his
insights are still worth considering
today.
Martin was born and spent his childhood
in central Iowa during the early 1920s.
His father was a chiropractor. Martin
began training in the German system
of gymnastics when he was around five
years old. As a young man, he worked
with Bernarr McFadden and taught at
Turner Halls in Philadelphia and Kansas
City. Martin eventually received degrees
in Chiropractic from National College
in Chicago, Osteopathy from the College
of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas
City, and Medicine from the California
College of Medicine in Los Angeles.
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| Young
Martin, on top,
was anaccomplished gymnast. |
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3
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Martin
began specializing in orthopedics
early in his career, combining the
healing power of movement to his medical
treatments. Martin eventually migrated
to Southern California, and was there
in the early 1960’s when a new
national interest in physical fitness,
weight training and gymnastics was
ignited under the leadership of President
John F. Kennedy. Martin’s ideas
began to appear in California-based
health and physical fitness magazines.
From his clinic in Pasadena, he combined
decades of medical studies with the
lessons he had learned as an Iowa
gymnast, relying heavily on the power
of rational movement to heal his patients.
In his 1975 book, Cum Gravity—
Living with gravity, he wrote, “Being
a physician who also practices and
teaches gymnastics, one discovery
became most pronounced to me. I found
that my avocation was often helping
people far more, in many ways, than
my vocation. It was something of a
miracle to see the wonderful transformation
of ailing men and women into persons
of commanding physique and stamina;
some of these were individuals who
at the beginning of their exercise
programs seemed most unlikely to improve.”
Martin also questioned the common
mainstream assertion that humankind
is ill-equipped to walk upright. He
wrote, “Hundreds of volumes
(books, newspapers, magazines, etc.)
have been published on backache. Almost
all authors of these articles have
a single premise: an assumption that
low-back pain has plagued mankind
ever since man assumed the unanimal
like posture of the human when he
changed from a quadruped to a biped. |
They
relate that at the time this change
occurred, man's neuro-musculoskeletal
mechanism was that of a quadruped,
and that as bipeds, our bodies are
unable to live compatibly with gravity
to this very day.
It is declared that because man stands
erect, his spine is unstable and gravity
has devastating effects - not only
on the vertebral column, but also
on many other body functions. Thus,
gravity is proclaimed to be man's
foe.” Martin challenged the
notion that gravity is the villain,
and humankind is doomed to ultimately
be compressed and distorted by its
unidirectional force and relentless
pressure upon us. He argued that we
do it to ourselves because we limit
our motion. Martin wrote, “In
the development of life on earth,
no force is of greater consequence
than the force of gravity. This force,
without the intelligent use of exchange
of postures, can deform, disable,
or even destroy your body.
Gravity applies its constant, relentless
force to the pliable, moldable, movable
structures of the body, much like
a potter manipulates and molds clay.
The resulting shape depends on how
the force is allowed to apply. In
both cases, to produce a shape and
form of beauty, intelligent application
of force is required.” Martin
suggested that there are six basic
human postural categories. Three of
them are common. Most people spend
their lives, twenty-four hours a day,
in them. The other three postures
are uncommon. The common postures
produce compression and shortening
of stature while the uncommon postures
decompress and elongate. In other
words, the uncommon postures are compensatory.
They mitigate the wear and tear caused
by constantly assuming the dominant
common postures. |
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Martin’s
six basic postures illustrate
the importance of postural exchange.
Group I - Common Postures
Effects: Produce body compression
and
shortening of stature.
Used: In work, play, rest, etc.
1. The ERECT POSTURE (Fig. 1)
(The posture of Dominance)
a. Sitting
b. Standing
2. The HORIZONTAL POSTURE (Fig. 2)
(The posture of neutrality)
a. Lying (On side, back, or front)
3. The FLEXED POSTURE (Fig. 3)
(The posture of Accessibility)
a. Bending forward
Group II - Uncommon Postures
Effects: Produce body decompression
and elongation of stature.
Used: To counter and correct adverse
effects of gravity produced by the
common postures
4. The EXTENDED POSTURE (Fig. 4)
(The posture of Bending Backwards)
5. The BRACHIATED POSTURE (Fig. 5)
(The posture of hanging by the limbs
- upper or lower)
6. The INVERTED POSTURE (Fig. 6)
(The Upside-down Posture)
a. Hand Stand
b. Forearm Stand
c. Shoulder Stand
d. Hanging by the Lower Limbs
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|
Martin’s
six basic postures illustrate
the importance of postural
exchange. |
|
|
| Yogis
and Monks have
inverted for centuries. |
Martin
began inventing inversion equipment
early in his career, but he was always
quick to give credit to others who discovered
the principles before him. Yogis and
monks have inverted for centuries. Physicians
in the Middle Ages used the Scamnum
Hippocrates. It was a ladder-shaped
bed used to facilitate inverted traction.
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| Physicians
in the Middle Ages
employed the Scamnum Hippocrates. |
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5
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In
the late-1800’s, the great Strongman
C.A. Sampson advocated the Roman Column.
The famous body builder John Grimek
trained upside down in the 1940’s
and 50’s. Joseph Pilates also
used extension, inversion and brachiation.
Many chiropractors and physical therapists
have used extension and inverted brachiation
for decades. Physical educators are
beginning to recognize the value of
postural exchange, but mistakes in
methodology can be at the expense
of students.
|
|
Body
Building legend John Grimek
lifted light weights while inverted. |
|
| |
| The
great 19th
Century strongman C.A.
Sampson used the Roman Column. |
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6
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Once
deprived of the uncommon postures
over time, spatial awareness deteriorates.
Students and teachers must be taught
to safely and profitably enter, assume
and exit these uncommon postures.
Progression, variety and precision
are essential, as is correct spotting
and instruction.
 |
LTC
William Rieger, Commandant
of
the United States Army Physical
Fitness School demonstrates
horizontal
extension on a Body Bridge. |
Many
physical therapists and physical trainers
have also recently rediscovered extension.
In the early 1980’s, leaning
backward was widely discouraged. Critics
frequently called it hyperextension
to stress its negative nature. Innovations
such as the popular Swiss ball, Body
Bridge and numerous other extension
devices now provide tools to safely
teach and practice it. Unfortunately,
it is not uncommon in our universities
today to still hear professors of
exercise science or physical education
warning against extension. Inverted
postures like handstands, shoulder
stands and forearm stands are also
often contraindicated or simply overlooked.
Inversion tables and boots were generally
ignored or deplored by most physical
educators when people |
across
the country started using them in
the early 1970’s. Many physical
educators based their opinions on
1980’s research that warned
against turning the body upside down.
Herbert Devries, Ph.D. put the exaggerated
risk of increased arterial blood pressure
and cerebrovascular damage caused
by inversion to rest in 1985 when
he wrote; “Considerable valid
research data on the use of inversion
devices to relieve low back pain have
been published in the medical literature.
Unfortunately, the information has
been distorted and sensationalized
in the lay press, giving rise to confusion.
With proper precaution, full inversion
using an oscillating inversion device
probably presents no risk to normotensive
healthy persons.”
 |
Thomas
teaching inversion
to students at The University
of Iowa in the early 1970s. |
I
began teaching decompression and mobilization
in physical education skills courses
at The University of Iowa in the early
1970’s. Using a device called
a Physicare Machine and later Dr.
Martin’s equipment, I safely
introduced hundreds of students to
a variety of inversion techniques.
Some faculty members were at best
ambivalent about the concept. One
anatomy professor wrote, “I
doubt this does much good but in all
fairness I’m quite sure it probably
doesn’t hurt anything either. |
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In
fact, a little stretching each day
undoubtedly feels good, if one wants
to do it this way that’s their
own business. More power to them—but
don’t pay anything for it.”
Not all physical educators ignored
or rejected Martin’s methods
during those years. In a 1986 letter
to him, past president of the AAHPERD
and a former professor at The University
of Iowa B.D. Lockhardt wrote, “If
the AAHPERD embraces the concepts
you teach and modifies its fitness
assessments accordingly, every child
in physical education classes throughout
America will be positively affected
by your ideas. I am hopeful that we
will make these adjustments as soon
as possible and start on a steady
and sensible program of preventing
back pain long before it starts.”
|
| Thomas
facilitates
inverted brachiated extension
at
Northern Illinois University. |
|
I
introduced Martin’s theory of
six postures to thousands of students
at Northern Illinois University between
1979 and 1993. I taught students in
Korea, Germany, Burma and Thailand
to invert, extend and brachiate. Most
recently, I worked with the United
States Army to implement inversion
Army- wide. First tested by U.S. Army
Rangers in the mid-1990’s, the
United States Army Physical Fitness
School now recommends inverted decompression
and mobilization as an integral part
of physical readiness training for
all U.S. soldiers. After almost thirty
years of teaching people to employ
these simple but uncommon postures,
it remains for me a mystery that such
obvious principles of posture and
body management are not widespread
and mainstream practice.
 |
| United
States Army Rangers practice
inverted sit-ups at Fort Benning,
Georgia. |
Martin’s
message is uniquely suited for our
time, and we are wise to again consider
the complicated notions he eloquently
translated into simple andcompelling
language. “Examples of the consequences
of not living compatibly with gravity
and Newtonian Law are found everywhere,”
He wrote. “One needs only to
look at his neighbor and his drooping,
shortening, sagging stature; bulged
out mid-section, and unsightly posterior
to see the devastating |
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8
|
effects
of gravity, illustrating how important
it is to live compatibly with this
major environmental influence. Too
many of us are models of molding tissue
living without concern for gravity's
guiding power - a power we must learn
to respect and use positively. The
body is not only molded by the force
of gravity, but it is conditioned
by it. Gravity has been cast in the
role of a villain instead of being
seen in its proper light, namely a
servant of mankind. It is the limiting
of motion and fixation of posture
that allows the force of gravity to
warp the body and thus cause common
backache.” There is, of course,
much to consider if and when the physical
education profession begins to rebuild
the posture and body mechanics curriculum.
Martin’s pioneering work can
certainly provide a start point, but
many others past and present have
dedicated their professional efforts
to these issues. If and when we decide
to develop posture and body mechanics
curriculums that actually make a difference
in our students’ lives, we will
be pleasantly surprised that much
of the work has already been done
by those before us who lived close
enough to Nature to see the simplicity
and logic of Her eternal laws. To
reach Ed Thomas, Ed.D. at the Iowa
Department of Education, call 515-281-
3933. Website www.ihpra.org. Recommended
Sources
1. Bennett, H.E. (1928). School posture
and seating. Boston: Ginn and Company.
2. Devries, H.A. (1985, October- November).
Inversion devices: Potential |
benefits
and precautions. Corporate Fitness
& Recreation, 4 (6), 24-27.
3. Drew, L.C. (1927). Adapted group
gymnastics. Philadelphia: Lea &
Febiger.
4. Drew, L.C. (1929). Individual gymnastics.
Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.
5. Goldthwaite, J.E. (1934). Body
mechanics. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott
Company.
6. Howland, I.H. (1936). The teaching
of body mechanics. New York: A.S.
Barnes.
7. Jacobsen, E. (1929). Progressive
relaxation. Chicago: The University
Press.
8. Lee, M., & Wagner, M. (1949).
Fundamentals of body mechanics and
conditioning. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
9. Lippitt, L.C. (1923). A manual
of corrective gymnastics. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
10. Lovett, R.W. (1922). Lateral curvature
of the spine and round shoulders.
5th ed., Philadelphia: P. Blakiston’s
Son and Company Incorporated.
11. Lowman, C.L., Colestock, C., &
Cooper, H. (1928). Corrective physical
education for groups. New York: A.S.
Barnes and Company.
12. Martin, R.M. (1975). Cum gravity-
Living with gravity. San Marino, CA:
Essential Publishing.
13. Martin, R.M. (1979). The gravity
guiding system-Turning the aging process
upside down. San Marino, CA: Essential
Publishing.
14. McKenzie, R.T. (1923). Exercise
in education and medicine. Philadelphia:
W.B. Saunders Company.
15. Mesendieck, B.M. (1931). It’s
up to you-The Mesendieck system. New
York:
36 West Fifty-ninth St. |
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16.
Metheny, E. (1986). Movement and meaning.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
17. Pearl, N.H. & Brown, H.E.
(1919). Health by stunts. New York:
Macmillan Company.
18. Rathbone, J.L. (1934). Corrective
physical education. Philadelphia:
W.B. Saunders Company.
19. Richardson, F.H., & Hearn,
W. J. (1930). The preschool child
and his posture. New York: G.P. Putman’s
Sons.
20. Spencer, H. (1886). Education:
Intellectual, moral, and physical.
New York: Appleton.
21. Staley, S.C. (1926). Calisthenics.
New York: A.S. Barnes and Company.
22. Sumption, D. (1929). Fundamental
Danish gymnastics. New York: A.S,
Barnes and Company. |
23.
Stafford, G.T. (1928). Preventive
and corrective physical education.
New York: A.S. Barnes and Company.
24. Thomas, E.J. (1993). Decompression
and mobilization-Down but not out
of the gymnasium. The Physical Educator,
50, 39-46.
25. Thomas, L., & Goldthwaite,
J.E. (1922). Body mechanics and health.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
26. Todd, M. (1937). The thinking
body. Boston: Charles T. Branford
Company.
27. White House Conference. (1932).
Body mechanics in education and practice.
Washington: Library of Congress. |
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We
would like express our appreciation
to Ed
Thomas, Ed.D for
this excellent article and permission
to present it on ww.energycenter.com.
Dr.
Thomas has
been doing amazing work in the field
of health and fitness for decades.
If
you would like to visit his website
please click
here: |
|
Why
do some doctors advise against
inversion therapy?
|
| For
centuries traction had been
one of the primary doctor
prescribed therapies for back
problems. Recently pain medication
and surgical treatments became
popular. Even though traction
was recommended for centuries
sometimes modern doctors will
advise against inversion therapy.
It has been our experience
that one
of the main reasons they advise
against inversion is because
they do not understand that
the user has total control
over the angle of incline
and extreme angels that may
concern the physician are
not recommended nor are they
usually necessary for achieving
great benefits. What some
doctors need to realize is
that a person can set the
table for horizontal or any
mild degree of incline. When
very mild angles are used
the stresses on the body are
minimal and any risks are
reduced. We have heard from
people over the years who
avoided inversion therapy
because their doctors did
not understand the potential
benefits. Some of these people
found a different doctor who
did understand how much benefit
could be achieved with as
little as 15-20 minutes a
day of mild inversion and
rhythmic intermittent traction.
This is achieved easily with
the inversion table by creating
a rocking motion. Some
doctors contraindicate inversion
therapy for very good reasons.
In some cases they have not
taken the time to study this
simple
therapy that has
brought pain relief and
a better quality of life to
hundreds of thousands of people. |
|
| For
anyone about to begin a program
of
inversion therapy we offer a
few suggestions. |
Begin
slowly: Invert only 15 to 20
degrees at first, and stay inverted
only as long as it feels comfortable,
which may only be a few seconds at
first. Remarkably, you can gain all
of the benefits of inversion without
ever fully inverting yourself. Most
people find 20 to 60 degrees of decline
adequate and very comfortable.
Come
up slowly: When you come back upright
the pressure is again placed on the
discs and nerves. Come up slowly and
relax at the horizontal before coming
upright.
Make
changes gradually: Increase
the angle of incline only if it is
comfortable, and only increase the
angle a few degrees at a time. The
Hang Ups F5000 inversion table has
a tether strap to help people stay
within their inversion range. People
can add rocking back and forth (rhythmic
traction) to their inversion program
once they feel comfortable.
Pay
attention to your body: You're
unique, and your body will tell you
what's good for it. You determine
the pace when adapting to the inverted
world.
Relaxing
after a long day at a 25-45 degree
angle for 15-20 minutes can be a great
stress relieving & rejuvenating
experience.
Rhythmic
Intermittent Traction: Use
intermittent traction (pull and release)
or rhythmic traction to encourage
blood, lymph, and spinal fluid circulation.
Moving, twisting, stretching, and
light exercise while inverted aids
in the alignment of bones and organs
while minimizing any increase in blood
pressure, but strenuous exercise is
not recommended while inverted. Just
relax and enjoy!
Do
it regularly: There are a variety
of inversion programs and exercises.
Trust yourself to find the approach
that's best for you, and then do it
every day. Two or three short sessions
(10-20 minutes) a day seem to work
best for most people.
Inversion
is a very dynamic & effective
form of traction. Even
at a 45 degree angle a person is achieving
a greater force of pull on the back
than hospital traction. The
force of the pull registers much stronger
on the body than it does on the conscious
mind. This is why it iseasy to over
stretch the muscles & nerves of
the back and neck & possibly get
a spasm. Remember, most adults have
not hung upside down since they were
little kids.
After
using inversion for a while usually
the disc compression and nerve pain
is relieved enough to begin an exercise
program. Most people suffering
disc compression have a problem with
pelvic tilt
that adds to the malalignment of the
spine and nerve irritation. This pelvic
tilt problem and some exercises
are discussed on this page click
here:
Based
on years of research and the testimonials
of hundreds of people who have found
relief from back pain, inversion is
a powerful, natural option for people
who want to relieve lower back pain.
Sometimes there's an explanation for
why inversion works, and sometimes
there isn't - it works for some and
not for others. We only know that
for many people, literally turning
their world upside down through inversion
therapy can provide an alternative
to drugs and surgery in a life filled
with daily pain.
Many
people say it is the greatest stretch
they have had in years.
Dr.
Bernard Jensen who many consider to
be one of the greatest naturopathic
teachers and healers of the 20th century
recommends using a slant board as
part of an optimum health program.
This inversion
table does everything the slant board
does & more!!!
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