
Overview
Background
John McGrath AM, MBBS, MD, PhD, FRANZCP, FAHMS
John McGrath is a psychiatrist interested in discovering the causes of serious mental disorders. He is the Director of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and conjoint Professor at the Queensland Brain Institute His research aims to generate and evaluate nongenetic risk factors for schizophrenia. He has forged productive cross-disciplinary collaborations linking risk factor epidemiology with developmental neurobiology. For example, John and his colleagues have made discoveries linking prenatal vitamin D and later risk of mental illness in the offspring. In addition, John has supervised major systematic reviews of the epidemiology of schizophrenia. He was awarded a John Cade Fellowship by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. In 2016 he was also awarded a Neils Bohr Professorship by the Danish National Research Foundation.
Availability
- Professor John McGrath is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
Research interests
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The association between vitamin D status and brain outcomes
In collaboration with Darryl Eyles, we are measuring early life vitamin D status and exploring if this changes the risk of later developing serious mental illness. These studies are in collaboration with colleagues in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.
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The demographic and clinical correlates of psychotic-like experiences
Using two large surveys conducted in Australia in 1997 and 2007, our group have undertaken a suite of studies designed to understand the clinical relevance of isolated psychotic-like experiences. Over recent years we have published many papers on this topic, and have made important contributions with respect to how psychotic-like experiences are associated with (a) an increased risk of later psychotic disorders (based on the MUSP study), (b) depression, anxiety and substance use disorders, (c) a family history of mental illness, (d) exposure to trauma, (e) an increased risk of suicidal ideation and behaviour, (f) general physical health, and (g) help-seeking.
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The Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP)
Our group was one of seven sites involved in the design and administration of the second Australian Survey of psychotic disorders. In collaboration with a large national team, we continue to explore key issues related to the needs of people with psychosis in Australia.
Research impacts
The Epidemiology team are interested in the frequency measures related to serious mental disorders (e.g. incidence, prevalence, mortality, recovery/remission). We are also interested in the clinical and demographic correlates of adverse mental health outcomes – some of these may be modifiable risk factors and thus important from a public health perspective. We use large, community-based surveys, and birth cohorts. Our focus has been on psychotic disorders and psychotic-like experiences in the general population. In addition, we are examining the links between early life vitamin D status and risk of later mental illness, by directly measuring vitamin D (in collaboration with Darryl Eyles and many international collaborators).
Works
Search Professor John McGrath’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopment in Childhood: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial
Sass, Laerke, Vinding, Rebecca Kofod, Stokholm, Jakob, Bjarnadóttir, Elín, Noergaard, Sarah, Thorsen, Jonathan, Sunde, Rikke Bjersand, McGrath, John, Bønnelykke, Klaus, Chawes, Bo and Bisgaard, Hans (2020). High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopment in Childhood: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 3 (12) e2026018, 1-14. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.26018
2020
Other Outputs
Leveraging both individual-level genetic data and GWAS summary statistics increases polygenic prediction
Albiñana, Clara, Grove, Jakob, McGrath, John J., Agerbo, Esben, Wray, Naomi R., Werge, Thomas, Børglum, Anders D., Mortensen, Preben Bo, Privé, Florian and Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni J. (2020). Leveraging both individual-level genetic data and GWAS summary statistics increases polygenic prediction. doi: 10.1101/2020.11.27.401141
2020
Journal Article
Effect of sodium benzoate vs placebo among individuals with early psychosis: a randomized clinical trial
Scott, James G., Baker, Andrea, Lim, Carmen C. W., Foley, Sharon, Dark, Frances, Gordon, Anne, Ward, David, Richardson, Drew, Bruxner, George, Beckmann, K. Martin, Hatherill, Sean, Stathis, Stephen, Dixon, Krystal, Ryan, Alexander E., McWhinney, Brett C., Ungerer, Jacobus P. J., Berk, Michael, Dean, Olivia M., Saha, Sukanta and McGrath, John (2020). Effect of sodium benzoate vs placebo among individuals with early psychosis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA network open, 3 (11) e2024335, e2024335. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.24335
2020
Journal Article
Association between Childhood Green Space, Genetic Liability, and the Incidence of Schizophrenia
Engemann, Kristine, Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker, Agerbo, Esben, Arge, Lars, Børglum, Anders Dupont, Erikstrup, Christian, Hertel, Ole, Hougaard, David Michael, McGrath, John J., Mors, Ole, Mortensen, Preben Bo, Nordentoft, Merete, Sabel, Clive Eric, Sigsgaard, Torben, Tsirogiannis, Constantinos, Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni Jóhann, Werge, Thomas, Svenning, Jens-Christian and Horsdal, Henriette Thisted (2020). Association between Childhood Green Space, Genetic Liability, and the Incidence of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 46 (6), 1629-1637. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa058
2020
Journal Article
Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Vos, Theo, Lim, Stephen S, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abrams, Elissa M, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N, Adabi, Maryam, Adamu, Abdu A, Adebayo, Oladimeji M, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adelson, Jaimie D, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Adham, Davoud, Afshari, Mahdi ... Murray, Christopher J L (2020). Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1204-1222. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30925-9
2020
Journal Article
Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Wang, Haidong, Abbas, Kaja M., Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abolhassani, Hassan, Abreu, Lucas Guimaraes, Abrigo, Michael R. M., Abushouk, Abdelrahman I., Adabi, Maryam, Adair, Tim, Adebayo, Oladimeji M., Adedeji, Isaac Akinkunmi, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adeoye, Abiodun Moshood, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O., Advani, Shailesh M., Afshin, Ashkan, Aghaali, Mohammad, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmadi, Keivan, Ahmadieh, Hamid, Ahmed, Muktar Beshir, Al-Aly, Ziyad, Alam, Khurshid, Alam, Tahiya, Alanezi, Fahad Mashhour ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2020). Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet, 396 (10258), 1160-1203.
2020
Journal Article
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Murray, Christopher J L, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abedi, Parisa, Abedi, Aidin, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abu-Gharbieh, Eman, Abu Haimed, Abdulaziz Khalid, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N, Adabi, Maryam, Adamu, Abdu A, Adebayo, Oladimeji M, Adelson, Jaimie D, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Afarideh, Mohsen, Afshin, Ashkan, Agarwal, Gina, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmad, Tauseef, Ahmadi, Keivan ... Lim, Stephen S (2020). Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1135-1159. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31404-5
2020
Journal Article
Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Wang, Haidong, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abolhassani, Hassan, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Adabi, Maryam, Adair, Tim, Adebayo, Oladimeji M, Adedeji, Isaac Akinkunmi, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adeoye, Abiodun Moshood, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Advani, Shailesh M, Afshin, Ashkan, Aghaali, Mohammad, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmadi, Keivan, Ahmadieh, Hamid, Ahmed, Muktar Beshir, Al-Aly, Ziyad, Alam, Khurshid, Alam, Tahiya, Alanezi, Fahad Mashhour ... Murray, Christopher J L (2020). Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1160-1203. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30977-6
2020
Journal Article
Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Murray, Christopher J L, Aravkin, Aleksandr Y, Zheng, Peng, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abegaz, Kedir Hussein, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abualhasan, Ahmed, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Adabi, Maryam, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adeoye, Abiodun Moshood, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Adham, Davoud, Advani, Shailesh M, Agarwal, Gina, Aghamir, Seyed Mohammad Kazem, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmad, Tauseef, Ahmadi, Keivan ... Lim, Stephen S (2020). Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1223-1249. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2
2020
Journal Article
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M., Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abedi, Aidin, Abedi, Parisa, Abegaz, Kedir Hussein, Abolhassani, Hassan, Abosetugn, Akine Eshete, Aboyans, Victor, Abrams, Elissa M., Abreu, Lucas Guimaraes, Abrigo, Michael R. M., Abu Haimed, Abdulaziz Khalid, Abualhasan, Ahmed, Abu-Gharbieh, Eman, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I., Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N., Adabi, Maryam, Adair, Tim, Adamu, Abdu A. ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2020). Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet, 396 (10258), 1135-1159.
2020
Journal Article
Nature and prevalence of combinations of mental disorders and their association with excess mortality in a population-based cohort study
Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer, Musliner, Katherine L., Dalsgaard, Søren, Momen, Natalie C., Weye, Nanna, Christensen, Maria K., Agerbo, Esben, Iburg, Kim Moesgaard, Laursen, Thomas Munk, Mortensen, Preben Bo, Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker, Petersen, Liselotte Vogdrup, Santomauro, Damian F., Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni J., Whiteford, Harvey A. and McGrath, John J. (2020). Nature and prevalence of combinations of mental disorders and their association with excess mortality in a population-based cohort study. World Psychiatry, 19 (3), 339-349. doi: 10.1002/wps.20802
2020
Journal Article
Families, health registers, and biobanks: making the unmeasurable measurable
Albiñana, Clara Climent, Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni J. and McGrath, John J. (2020). Families, health registers, and biobanks: making the unmeasurable measurable. Biological Psychiatry, 88 (6), 440-441. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.025
2020
Journal Article
Systematic review of frameworks used to conceptualise health pathways of individuals diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases
Seguin, Maureen L., Rangnekar, Avanti, Renedo, Alicia, Palafox, Benjamin, McKee, Martin and Balabanova, Dina (2020). Systematic review of frameworks used to conceptualise health pathways of individuals diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. BMJ Global Health, 5 (9) e002464, 1-11. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002464
2020
Journal Article
The cost of mental disorders: a systematic review
Christensen, M. K., Lim, C. C. W., Saha, S., Plana-Ripoll, O., Cannon, D., Presley, F., Weye, N., Momen, N. C., Whiteford, H. A., Iburg, K. M. and McGrath, J. J. (2020). The cost of mental disorders: a systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29 e161, e161. doi: 10.1017/s204579602000075x
2020
Journal Article
Efficient toolkit implementing best practices for principal component analysis of population genetic data
Privé, Florian, Luu, Keurcien, Blum, Michael G. B., McGrath, John J. and Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni J. (2020). Efficient toolkit implementing best practices for principal component analysis of population genetic data. Bioinformatics, 36 (16), 4449-4457. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa520
2020
Journal Article
Comorbidity within mental disorders: a comprehensive analysis based on 145 990 survey respondents from 27 countries
McGrath, J. J., Lim, C. C. W., Plana-Ripoll, O., Holtz, Y., Agerbo, E., Momen, N. C., Mortensen, P. B., Pedersen, C. B., Abdulmalik, J., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Al-Hamzawi, A., Alonso, J., Bromet, E. J., Bruffaerts, R., Bunting, B., de Almeida, J. M. C., de Girolamo, G., De Vries, Y. A., Florescu, S., Gureje, O., Haro, J. M., Harris, M. G., Hu, C., Karam, E. G., Kawakami, N., Kiejna, A., Kovess-Masfety, V., Lee, S., Mneimneh, Z. ... de Jonge, P. (2020). Comorbidity within mental disorders: a comprehensive analysis based on 145 990 survey respondents from 27 countries. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29 e153, e153. doi: 10.1017/s2045796020000633
2020
Journal Article
Corrigendum to: The epidemiology of alcohol use disorders cross-nationally: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys [Addict. Behav. 102 (2020) 106128] (Addictive Behaviors (2020) 102, (S0306460319304897), (10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106128))
Glantz, Meyer D., Bharat, Chrianna, Degenhardt, Louisa, Sampson, Nancy A., Scott, Kate M., Lim, Carmen C. W., Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura Helena, Cardoso, Graca, De Girolamo, Giovanni, Gureje, Oye, He, Yanling, Hinkov, Hristo, Karam, Elie G., Karam, Georges, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lasebikan, Victor, Lee, Sing, Levinson, Daphna, McGrath, John, Medina-Mora, Maria-Elena, Mihaescu-Pintia, Constanta, Mneimneh, Zeina, Moskalewicz, Jacek, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Posada-Villa, José, Rapsey, Charlene, Stagnaro, Juan Carlos ... Kessler, Ronald C. (2020). Corrigendum to: The epidemiology of alcohol use disorders cross-nationally: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys [Addict. Behav. 102 (2020) 106128] (Addictive Behaviors (2020) 102, (S0306460319304897), (10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106128)). Addictive Behaviors, 106 106381, 106381. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106381
2020
Journal Article
Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition
Berry, Sarah E., Valdes, Ana M., Drew, David A., Asnicar, Francesco, Mazidi, Mohsen, Wolf, Jonathan, Capdevila, Joan, Hadjigeorgiou, George, Davies, Richard, Al Khatib, Haya, Bonnett, Christopher, Ganesh, Sajaysurya, Bakker, Elco, Hart, Deborah, Mangino, Massimo, Merino, Jordi, Linenberg, Inbar, Wyatt, Patrick, Ordovas, Jose M., Gardner, Christopher D., Delahanty, Linda M., Chan, Andrew T., Segata, Nicola, Franks, Paul W. and Spector, Tim D. (2020). Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition. Nature Medicine, 26 (6), 964-973. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-0934-0
2020
Journal Article
Association of specific mental disorders with premature mortality in the Danish population using alternative measurement methods
Weye, Nanna, Momen, Natalie C., Christensen, Maria K., Iburg, Kim M., Dalsgaard, Søren, Laursen, Thomas M., Mortensen, Preben B., Santomauro, Damian F., Scott, James G., Whiteford, Harvey A., McGrath, John J. and Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer (2020). Association of specific mental disorders with premature mortality in the Danish population using alternative measurement methods. JAMA Network Open, 3 (6) e206646, e206646. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6646
2020
Journal Article
Cohort profile: the Australian genetics of depression study
Byrne, Enda M., Kirk, Katherine M., Medland, Sarah E., McGrath, John J., Colodro-Conde, Lucia, Parker, Richard, Cross, Simone, Sullivan, Lenore, Statham, Dixie J., Levinson, Douglas F., Licinio, Julio, Wray, Naomi R, Hickie, Ian B. and Martin, Nicholas G. (2020). Cohort profile: the Australian genetics of depression study. BMJ Open, 10 (5) e032580, e032580. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032580
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor John McGrath is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Completed supervision
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Mental Disorders and Physical Activity: Epidemiological Analyses using Australian Datasets
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James Scott
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
The mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
The antecedents of schizophrenia, a birth cohort study
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Gail Williams
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2007
Doctor Philosophy
AWARENESS OF MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF INSIGHT INTO SCHIZOPHRENIA: A COMPARISON OF PATIENTS WITH THEIR RELATIVES AND CLINICIANS
Principal Advisor
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Contrasting the Expression of Psychotic Disorders in Ethnically Different Populations
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bryan Mowry
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
The role of adult vitamin D deficiency in cognition and brain function in mice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Thomas Burne
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Neurochemical and neurophysiological bases of executive control
Associate Advisor
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
The effect of developmental vitamin D3 deficiency on brain development, immune function and behaviour in the adult rat
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Thomas Burne, Professor Darryl Eyles
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
The prevalence and correlates of psychotic-like experiences in the Australian community
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Graham Martin
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2005
Doctor Philosophy
Startle eyeblink modification: Associations with haloperidol, caffeine and nicotine in schizophrenia-spectrum and health individuals
Associate Advisor
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
INFORMATION PROCESSING AND PSYCHOSIS
Associate Advisor
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
THE ASSESSMENT OF THE DYSEXECUTIVE SYNDROME IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PSYCHOSIS
Associate Advisor
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2002
Doctor Philosophy
THE ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGY OF WORKING MEMORY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
Associate Advisor
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2002
Doctor Philosophy
MOLECULAR CANDIDATES FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bryan Mowry
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor John McGrath directly for media enquiries about:
- Brain development
- Neuroscience
- Schizophrenia
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