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Zhou, R., Ding, J., Gao, C., Qian, W., Erickson, B., Balaam, M., . . . Nakagaki, K. (2025). Demonstrating Shape-Kit: A Design Toolkit for Crafting On-Body Expressive Haptics. In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2025: . Paper presented at CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 April 2025- 1 May 2025. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Demonstrating Shape-Kit: A Design Toolkit for Crafting On-Body Expressive Haptics
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2025 (English)In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2025, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2025Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Driven by the vision of everyday haptics, the HCI community is advocating for “design touch first” and investigating “how to touch well.” However, a gap remains between the exploratory nature of haptic design and technical reproducibility. We present Shape-Kit, a hybrid design toolkit embodying our “crafting haptics” metaphor. The Shape-Kit analog tool can transduce and amplify (or minify) human touch behaviors into dynamic pin-based haptic sensations through a flexible and long transducer, enabling free-form sensorial exploration of touch across the body. An ad-hoc tracking module captures and digitizes these patterns, while our graphical user interface includes real-time 3D visualization, recording, tuning, and playback functionalities. To showcase a full design cycle, we built a programmable shape display for tangible playback. This demonstration invites attendees to experience how the analog crafting method offers an intuitive entry point for collaborative touch prototyping while excelling at uncovering subtle nuances that shape touch quality and how touch digitization enables touch recording and playback while enhancing reflective creation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
Keywords
Haptic Design Toolkit, Crafting Haptics, On-body Expressive Haptics, Design Research, Passive Shape Display, Computer Vision, Soma Design, Collaborative Haptic Design, Sensorial Exploration
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Research subject
Human-computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-365763 (URN)10.1145/3706599.3721280 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005746172 (Scopus ID)
Conference
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 April 2025- 1 May 2025
Projects
ERC, Intimate Touch, 101043637Army Research Office contract number W911NF22C0082Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Administration (IARPA)
Note

QC 20250701

Available from: 2025-06-29 Created: 2025-06-29 Last updated: 2025-07-01Bibliographically approved
Teisanu, S., Campo Woytuk, N., Park, J. Y., Brynskov, A., Hua, D. M., Ciolfi Felice, M., . . . Balaam, M. (2025). Designing for and with Intimate (Sexual) Bodies - Towards Feminist and Queer Somatic Understandings of Pleasure. In: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2025: . Paper presented at 19th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2025, Bordeaux, France, Mar 4 2025 - Mar 7 2025. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Article ID 133.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Designing for and with Intimate (Sexual) Bodies - Towards Feminist and Queer Somatic Understandings of Pleasure
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2025 (English)In: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2025, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2025, article id 133Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This studio explores methods for prototyping with and for intimate and sexual experiences, focusing on a diversity of bodies and understandings of pleasure. We aim to both explore how to communicate people's somatic (sexual) profiles while engaging in creative making processes. Participants will engage in a full day workshop consisting of three distinct phases: trying out methods for representing somatic experiences, tangible ideation and making, and group reflections. Through these activities, we not only aim to enhance individual awareness of erotic bodies but also share advice and experiences on how to design for sexual experiences from feminist and intersectional perspectives. This studio seeks to promote inclusivity and challenge normative beliefs about sexual bodies, designing for intimacy and contributing to a more equitable discourse on pleasure. computer interaction (HCI); Interactive systems and tools; Interaction design; Interaction design process and methods; Activity centered design.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
Keywords
prototyping for intimate experiences, soma design, workshop
National Category
Human Computer Interaction Design Gender Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-361964 (URN)10.1145/3689050.3708335 (DOI)2-s2.0-105000387134 (Scopus ID)
Conference
19th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2025, Bordeaux, France, Mar 4 2025 - Mar 7 2025
Note

Part of ISBN 9798400711978

QC 20250408

Available from: 2025-04-03 Created: 2025-04-03 Last updated: 2025-04-08Bibliographically approved
Park, J. Y., Zheng, C. Y., Campo Woytuk, N., Huang, X., Balaam, M. & Ciolfi Felice, M. (2025). Designing Touch Technologies for and with Bodies in Menstrual Discomfort. In: Proceedings CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025: . Paper presented at CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, April 26 - May 1, 2025, Yokohama, Japan. ACM Publications
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Designing Touch Technologies for and with Bodies in Menstrual Discomfort
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2025 (English)In: Proceedings CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, ACM Publications, 2025Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Menstrual discomfort is a prevalent, diverse, and cyclical lived experience, impacting everyday lives. However, in HCI, it has been mostly approached as a data point, leaving much unknown on how technologies can care for these experiences. In response, we designed Touchware, a collection of on-body touch probes with pneumatic shape-change and weight components, which invite wearers to engage with and care for their menstrual discomfort. We report on the participatory soma design process of making Touchware and its two-week-long deployment study with 6 participants in a workplace setting. Our data analysis highlights diffuse and lingering qualities of menstrual discomfort, shedding light on how technologies may touch bodies in vulnerable states. We discuss the importance and challenges of designing touch technologies for and with bodies in the moments of menstrual discomfort. We conclude with a reflection on the agency of touch and its potential to support the self-care labour and nurturing the radical normalization of rest.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ACM Publications, 2025
Keywords
menstrual pain, touch, discomfort, shape-changing, intimate care, feminist research, Research through Design, pneumatics
National Category
Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Research subject
Art, Technology and Design
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-362486 (URN)10.1145/3706598.3714032 (DOI)
Conference
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, April 26 - May 1, 2025, Yokohama, Japan
Funder
Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, CHI19-0034EU, European Research Council, 101043637
Note

Part of Proceedings ISBN 979-8-4007-1394-1

QC 20250416

Available from: 2025-04-16 Created: 2025-04-16 Last updated: 2025-04-16Bibliographically approved
Zhou, R., Ding, J., Gao, C., Qian, W., Erickson, B., Balaam, M., . . . Nakagaki, K. (2025). Shape-Kit: A Design Toolkit for Crafting On-Body Expressive Haptics. In: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025: . Paper presented at The 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 Apr 2025- 1 May 2025. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Shape-Kit: A Design Toolkit for Crafting On-Body Expressive Haptics
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2025 (English)In: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2025Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Driven by the vision of everyday haptics, the HCI community is advocating for “design touch first” and investigating “how to touch well.” However, a gap remains between the exploratory nature of haptic design and technical reproducibility. We present Shape-Kit, a hybrid design toolkit embodying our “crafting haptics” metaphor, where hand touch is transduced into dynamic pin-based sensations that can be freely explored across the body. An ad-hoc tracking module captures and digitizes these patterns. Our study with 14 designers and artists demonstrates how Shape-Kit facilitates sensorial exploration for expressive haptic design. We analyze how designers collaboratively ideate, prototype, iterate, and compose touch experiences and show the subtlety and richness of touch that can be achieved through diverse crafting methods with Shape-Kit. Reflecting on the findings, our work contributes key insights into haptic toolkit design and touch design practices centered on the “crafting haptics” metaphor. We discuss in-depth how Shape-Kit’s simplicity, though remaining constrained, enables focused crafting for deeper exploration, while its collaborative nature fosters shared sense-making of touch experiences.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
Keywords
Haptic Design Toolkit, Crafting Haptics, On-body Expressive Haptics, Design Research, Passive Shape Display, Computer Vision, Soma Design, Collaborative Haptic Design, Sensorial Exploration
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Research subject
Human-computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363916 (URN)10.1145/3706598.3713981 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005758853 (Scopus ID)
Conference
The 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 Apr 2025- 1 May 2025
Projects
ERC, Intimate Touch, 101043637Army Research Office contract number W911NF22C0082Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Administration (IARPA)
Note

QC 20250701

Available from: 2025-06-29 Created: 2025-06-29 Last updated: 2025-07-01Bibliographically approved
Lampinen, A., Balaam, M., Yadav, D., Campo Woytuk, N., Ciolfi Felice, M., Park, J. Y. & Blanco Cardozo, R. (2025). Shared Use of Intimate Technology: A Large-Scale Qualitative Study on the Use of Natural Cycles as a Digital Contraceptive. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9(2), Article ID CSCW166.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Shared Use of Intimate Technology: A Large-Scale Qualitative Study on the Use of Natural Cycles as a Digital Contraceptive
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2025 (English)In: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, E-ISSN 2573-0142, Vol. 9, no 2, article id CSCW166Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

We present a large-scale, qualitative interview study that examines how an intimate technology within reproductive health comes to be chosen and trusted as a mode of contraception and how its use is shared between partners. We conducted 133 semi-structured interviews with primary users of Natural Cycles, focusing specifically on its use as a digital contraceptive. Our interpretive analysis, first, sheds light on perceptions of risks and benefits, along with how, and by whom, the decision to adopt Natural Cycles got made. Second, we discuss participants’ and their partners’ gradual development of trust in the system, and how this intertwines with interpersonal trust. Third, we consider the shared use of Natural Cycles, including partner involvement in temperature tracking, the sharing of intimate data, and navigating specific choices and risks regarding sex and contraception. We make a primarily empirical contribution to Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) research on shared uses of technology and the sharing of intimate data, and highlight avenues for future work to foster understanding of intimate technologies and their shared use in relational settings.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
Keywords
digital contraception, intimate technology, Natural Cycles, reproductive health, shared use of technology
National Category
Human Computer Interaction Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363403 (URN)10.1145/3711064 (DOI)2-s2.0-105004409775 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20250515

Available from: 2025-05-15 Created: 2025-05-15 Last updated: 2025-05-15Bibliographically approved
Campo Woytuk, N., Tuli, A., Park, J. Y., Turmo Vidal, L., Tobin, D., Venugopal Reddy, A., . . . Balaam, M. (2025). Toward Feminist Ways of Sensing the Menstruating Body. In: : . Paper presented at CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Yokohama, Japan, April 26 - May 1, 2025. ACM
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Toward Feminist Ways of Sensing the Menstruating Body
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2025 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Bodily fluids associated with the menstruating body are often disregarded in the design of menstrual-tracking technologies despite their potential to provide valuable knowledge about the menstrual cycle. We prototyped a finger-worn sensor that measures vaginal fluid conductivity, which fluctuates throughout the cycle, and brought it into conversation with people through two speculative workshops (18 people), four fabrication workshops (17 people), and a deployment study where participants brought the sensor into their daily lives (7 people). We unpack that taking a material and sensory approach to intimate tracking nurtures a feminist way of sensing while creating tensions around how we want to know our bodies—tensions around how, where, and when to touch the body, hygiene, data storage, interpretation practices, and labor. With epistemological commitments to feminist materialist and posthuman theory, we invite designers to embrace these tensions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ACM, 2025
Keywords
sensing, leaky bodies, feminist hci, menstrual cycles, vaginal fluids, research through design, wearables, touch
National Category
Design Human Computer Interaction
Research subject
Human-computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-361823 (URN)10.1145/3706598.3713466 (DOI)
Conference
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Yokohama, Japan, April 26 - May 1, 2025
Note

Part of ISBN 9798400713941

Available from: 2025-03-31 Created: 2025-03-31 Last updated: 2025-03-31
Zheng, C. Y., Chen, Y., Latupeirissa, A. B., Andrikopoulos, G., Ståhl, A. & Balaam, M. (2025). Towards Caring Touch From Technologies: Knowledge From Healthcare Practitioners. In: CHI 2025: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Paper presented at The 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 April 2025- 1 May 2025. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Towards Caring Touch From Technologies: Knowledge From Healthcare Practitioners
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2025 (English)In: CHI 2025: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2025Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

We present a qualitative study with five healthcare experts specialised in different types of touch practice to gain insight in how caring touch can be enacted. Through our analysis we focus on how to transfer this learning into design considerations towards enacting caring touch from technologies. Despite the rapidly growing expectation for and design interest in touch from technologies intending to enhance care and well-being, the knowledge on how to design caring touch is still fragmented. How caring touch is enacted in inter-personal touch is under-explored and such expertise from healthcare practitioners has not been engaged from the perspective of HCI design research. We propose designers to consider caring as an experiential quality instead of a division between instrumental types of touch and caring types. We recommend when designing for a caring quality in technology-initiated touch that designers create a progression of touch with dynamic sensitivity and adapt the materiality of actuating devices to the plural dimensions of the body’s textures.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
National Category
Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities and Arts
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-364635 (URN)10.1145/3706598.3713736 (DOI)2-s2.0-105005741195 (Scopus ID)
Conference
The 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 26 April 2025- 1 May 2025
Note

Part of ISBN 9798400713941

QC 20250702

Available from: 2025-06-16 Created: 2025-06-16 Last updated: 2025-07-02Bibliographically approved
Campo Woytuk, N., Bell, F., Park, J. Y., Alistar, M. & Balaam, M. (2024). A Plurality of More-than-Humanness: Feminist Speculations for Designing with the Vaginal Microbiome. In: Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024: . Paper presented at 2024 Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024, Santa Cruz, United States of America, October 21-23, 2024. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Article ID 20.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A Plurality of More-than-Humanness: Feminist Speculations for Designing with the Vaginal Microbiome
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2024 (English)In: Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2024, article id 20Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

The vaginal microbiome (often called vaginal flora) plays a crucial role in intimate health, preventing bacterial imbalances and potentially influencing other conditions such as sexually transmitted infections, fertility issues, and even gynecological cancers. This work critically explores present and future technologies that engage with the vaginal microbiome through four speculative provocations. We conceptualize futures with self-tests, smart sensors, domestic microbiology labs, microbiome influencers, microbial donation, and microbial fermented foods — where the vaginal microbes become central to interactive technologies. In doing so, we unpack the more-than-human and critical feminist concerns that arise, challenging us to rethink our relationship with the vagina, as well as with the unseen inhabitants that coexist within it. We discuss the growing intersections of feminist HCI, Bio-HCI, and More-than-Human Design, reflecting on the implications of these proposed futures for our field, hoping to inspire more collaboration and discussion at these intersections.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2024
Keywords
bio-hci, design futuring, feminist hci, microbes, microbiome, more-than-human design, more-than-humanness, plurality of humanness, speculative design, vaginal flora
National Category
Design Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-359261 (URN)10.1145/3686169.3686170 (DOI)2-s2.0-85215532878 (Scopus ID)
Conference
2024 Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024, Santa Cruz, United States of America, October 21-23, 2024
Note

Part of ISBN 9798400710421

QC 20250131

Available from: 2025-01-29 Created: 2025-01-29 Last updated: 2025-01-31Bibliographically approved
Lusi, B., Petterson, A. K., Payyapilly Thiruvenkatanathan, K., Krawczyk, M., Tseng, E., Reime, L., . . . Zaga, C. (2024). Caring for Reproductive Justice: Design in Response to Adversity. In: CSCW Companion 2024 - Companion of the 2024 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing: . Paper presented at 27th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, CSCW Companion 2024, San Jose, Costa Rica, November 9-13, 2024 (pp. 693-696). Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Caring for Reproductive Justice: Design in Response to Adversity
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2024 (English)In: CSCW Companion 2024 - Companion of the 2024 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2024, p. 693-696Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Access to reproductive care, shaped by legal, socio-economic, political, and identity-based factors, is unevenly distributed and increasingly precarious. This one-day workshop builds on previous CSCW workshops to address the pressing need to confront issues at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), design research, and reproductive justice in the face of global conservatism and escalating challenges to human rights. Through speculative design, the workshop invites researchers and practitioners to address challenges in this design space, such as, but not limited to, information distribution, privacy issues, identity-based barriers, and design for care. By pulling on the threads of designed artifacts central to reproductive care and ideating on novel designs and anti-designs, participants will collaborate to formulate design and design research's role in reproductive justice futures. The workshop aims to produce provocative ideas around the messy realities of reproductive justice. We contribute critical discussions and reflections on HCI's role in promoting change and combating the oppressive forces that affect reproductive justice.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2024
Keywords
design for care, reproductive justice, speculative design
National Category
Human Computer Interaction Design
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-358884 (URN)10.1145/3678884.3681832 (DOI)2-s2.0-85214576687 (Scopus ID)
Conference
27th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, CSCW Companion 2024, San Jose, Costa Rica, November 9-13, 2024
Note

Part of ISBN 9798400711145

QC 20250124

Available from: 2025-01-23 Created: 2025-01-23 Last updated: 2025-01-24Bibliographically approved
Park, J. Y., Hsueh, S., Campo Woytuk, N., Huang, X., Ciolfi Felice, M. & Balaam, M. (2024). Critiquing Menstrual Pain Technologies through the Lens of Feminist Disability Studies. In: CHI 2024 - Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Sytems: . Paper presented at 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Sytems, CHI 2024, Hybrid, Honolulu, United States of America, May 11 2024 - May 16 2024. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Article ID 102.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Critiquing Menstrual Pain Technologies through the Lens of Feminist Disability Studies
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2024 (English)In: CHI 2024 - Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Sytems, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2024, article id 102Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea refers to abdominal cramping or pain before and during menstruation, causing a spectrum of discomfort among people who menstruate. Menstrual pain is often regarded as 'female trouble', as a nuisance that gets dismissed or as a symptom requiring medical intervention. While there are FemTech products that explicitly attend to menstrual pain, they predominantly seek to hide it without accounting for the lived experience of this pain. In this paper we use feminist disability studies (FDS) as a critical analytical lens to reframe the understanding of menstrual pain. Using this lens, we conduct an interaction critique of FemTech market exemplars for alleviating menstrual pain. We then ofer three design provocations to better design menstrual pain technology and call for designers to attend to menstrual pain as a cyclical, chronic lived experience with the potential of spurring leaky contagious coalitions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2024
Keywords
crip theory, design provocations, dysmenorrhea, feminist disability studies, Feminist HCI, FemTech, interaction criticism, menstrual pain
National Category
Other Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-347651 (URN)10.1145/3613904.3642691 (DOI)001259864905017 ()2-s2.0-85194899795 (Scopus ID)
Conference
2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Sytems, CHI 2024, Hybrid, Honolulu, United States of America, May 11 2024 - May 16 2024
Note

Not duplicate with DiVA 1844774

Part of ISBN: 9798400703300

QC 20241014

Available from: 2024-06-12 Created: 2024-06-12 Last updated: 2024-10-15Bibliographically approved
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Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0001-9472-3805

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