In this article, we continue presenting captivating training methods that grab the trainees' attention:

• Video Clips Presentation:

Presenting video clips is one of the most effective ways to solidify principles in the trainees' minds, as well as an important method to break routine and eliminate boredom during training sessions.

However, trainers should be aware that some video clips are copyrighted and come with the training product. There are also public administrative and leadership clips available on platforms like YouTube, along with outstanding real-life films produced by Hollywood, containing excellent clips. Additionally, trainers can use videos they have produced themselves.

The trainer should ensure that each video clip does not exceed 10 minutes, as long clips may lead to boredom.

Example (1): In a time management workshop held at Kuwait Oil Company, a 4-minute clip from the film Cast Away starring Tom Hanks was shown. The clip effectively demonstrated the importance of time and how to manage it.

Using Video Clips: One of the Best Ways to Reinforce Principles and Break Routine

Example (2): In another workshop at the Leaders Academy of the Teachers Association, titled Building a Successful Team, a 5-minute clip from the movie Apollo 13, also featuring Tom Hanks, was presented. It illustrated how to manage a successful team assigned to launch a space capsule.

Example (3): During a workshop at Al-Amiri Hospital for a group of doctors on charismatic personality traits, a one-minute video clip produced by the trainer was shown, showcasing the characteristics of a charismatic personality.

Example (4): In another workshop at the Petroleum Training Center titled The Benefits of Delegation, a 6-minute video clip from YouTube was shown, explaining how to delegate tasks effectively.

Example (5): In a workshop at Investment House Company titled Mastering the Art of Problem-Solving, three 10-minute video clips from the world-renowned trainer Nido Qubein were shown. These clips, which came as part of the training package from the U.S., were copyrighted.

The trainer should aim to energize his sessions by presenting relevant and expressive video clips that align with the session's topic.

• Conducting Training Competitions:

The trainer must know that testing the trainees' level of knowledge can be done through various methods. One of the most effective ways is by holding competitions among the trainees. Teams are formed, with a leader and a scorekeeper for each team.

The trainer begins by imposing rules for the competition and explaining the scoring method. Here are some of the rules that can be applied:

• The team leader or their designated representative is the spokesperson.
• A scorekeeper records the points for each correct answer.
• Each team is given up to 30 seconds (or less) to answer each question.
• If a team fails to answer, the question is passed to the next team.
• If a team answers a question without authorization, a point is deducted from their score.

Assessing Trainees' Knowledge Through Competitions

It is recommended that each competition lasts between 15 to 20 minutes, with 20 to 25 questions. The ideal number of teams ranges between 4 and 6.

Example (1):
In a training course held for the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation titled Golden Keys to Customer Service, a competition was organized featuring several famous global personalities known for leading companies distinguished in customer service.

The trainees were divided into teams, the competition rules were explained, and photos of these famous personalities were displayed without revealing their names. Each team was tasked with identifying the individuals in the photos. The process continued team by team, and at the end, prizes were awarded to the winning team.

In this type of competition, the trainer can present photos of personalities renowned for exceptional public speaking, workaholism, innovation, breaking records, training, or achievements in various technical or human sciences, and ask trainees to identify them.

The most enjoyable part of these competitions is when a team member speaks without being authorized, resulting in a point deduction according to the rules. The trainees usually start laughing and plead for forgiveness from the trainer, but the trainer insists: "No favors, no compromises, no exceptions—we must learn discipline and adherence to competition rules." This teaches trainees the importance of commitment and discipline.

Example (2):
In a training course held for the Council of Ministers titled How to Deal with Difficult Personalities, a competition was conducted on the best ways to handle critical situations when dealing with challenging individuals. For each question, four possible responses were provided on how to manage the critical situation, and each team was asked to choose the best answer simultaneously.

The best part of this competition is when some trainees object to certain answers. However, upon seeing that most teams agree on the correct answer, they reconsider their own response!

Example (3):
In a training course at Kuwait Oil Company titled The 70-Minute Hour, a time management square competition was held, focusing on prioritization.

In this competition, a scenario is presented, and trainees are asked to choose from four possible answers: the emergency square, the planning square, the interruption square, or the trivialities square.

This competition teaches trainees how to allocate their time based on the elements of importance and urgency. They learn to prioritize situations requiring both importance and urgency (emergencies), followed by situations that require importance without urgency (planning), then situations requiring urgency but not importance (interruptions), and finally situations that require neither importance nor urgency (trivialities).

In the next article, we will continue exploring other types of competitions that instill managerial concepts in trainees’ minds, far from theoretical philosophies and empty talk.

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Among the key attributes and traits of an outstanding trainer is the ability to avoid filling sessions with unnecessary words, philosophical theories, and unsupported hypotheses—whether from sociology, psychology, management, or other humanities fields.

There are countless training methods, with new ones emerging every day. Some of these innovative techniques have proven captivating and effective. Among them:

Sharing Real-Life Stories Relevant to the Training Topic

When telling a story, the trainer should mention the date, location, and people involved, along with the moral of the story, which makes it particularly engaging for participants. The duration of the story should typically be between 3 to 10 minutes.

Here’s an example of a real-life story: During a training session for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Kuwait titled "Communication Skills in Presentation and Public Speaking," I shared the story of a girl named Fatima, who completed the eighth grade at a British school in Salwa, Kuwait, in May 2001.

Fatima wanted to transfer from a British-system school to an American-system one. I asked the participants to write down the ten most important communication elements while listening to the story.

According to the story, Fatima wished to complete high school at an all-girls’ American school in Salwa. Admission required passing an entrance exam.

When the school principal, Ms. Morgan, reviewed Fatima’s results, she was shocked to find that Fatima had failed the exam miserably. The school rejected her application.

Among the Training Methods: Sharing Real-Life Stories Relevant to the Course Topic

Fatima, however, pleaded with Ms. Morgan for a second chance, saying it was important to her. After much back-and-forth, Ms. Morgan agreed and set a new test date on September 5, giving Fatima one final opportunity.

Fatima took this challenge seriously, prepared all summer, and sat for the exam again. But she felt she hadn’t performed well the second time either. Fatima then called Ms. Morgan and requested to meet with her before the results were posted.

Ms. Morgan agreed, giving her just one minute to make her case.

Despite the tight time constraint, Fatima accepted the challenge. She practiced a method from Sam Horn’s book "Concrete Confidence," which teaches how to capture someone’s attention in 7 seconds using the SMILE technique:

• S = Smile at the face
• M = Make the shake of hand
• I = Introduce yourself
• L = Learn the name of the other party
• E = Eye contact the other party

Fatima practiced the technique until she mastered it. The next day, she arrived 15 minutes early. When she met Ms. Morgan at exactly 10 a.m., she smiled, shook her hand, introduced herself, and asked, "Are you Ms. Morgan?"

Ms. Morgan, impressed by Fatima’s confident demeanor, invited her to speak.

Fatima said to herself: Seven seconds of the interview have passed, 53 seconds remain. At this point, Fatima began to deliver her 18-second, well-rehearsed 36-words introduction. She said:

"Madam, I have five reasons why I insist on being accepted into your respected school:
First: This is my desire.
Second: It’s my parents’ wish.
Third: Your school has an excellent reputation.
Fourth: All my friends were accepted, and I want to be with them.
Fifth: I want to complete high school at a girls-only school."

Ms. Morgan was stunned and asked, "Are you a skilled politician? Go home, and I will call you within two hours."

Fatima left, wondering if her 25-second pitch had succeeded.

Two hours later, Ms. Morgan called:
"Although you performed poorly on the exam, our school would be honored to have a student like you. Welcome!"

.. Presenting the Latest Statistics and Allowing Trainees to Comment on Them

After hearing this story, participants listed the following communication elements: persistence, embracing challenges, preparation, practicing the SMILE technique, smiling, shaking hands, introducing oneself, engaging with others, maintaining eye contact, organizing ideas, and managing time.

Thus, an outstanding trainer conveys ideas through real-life stories that resonate with the session’s topic.

Sharing Statistics

An outstanding trainer also uses relevant statistics and invites participants to read and comment on them.

For instance, in a "Customer Service Excellence" workshop for Boubyan Bank, a series of statistics was presented as questions:

1. Did you know that out of 20 dissatisfied customers, only one complains directly to the company, while 19 share their complaints with others?

2. Did you know that each dissatisfied customer tells 10 people outside the organization about their experience?

3. Did you know that solving a dissatisfied customer’s issue increases the chance of them returning to 54%?

4. Did you know that quickly resolving a complaint raises the likelihood of a customer returning to 96%? Speed is key!

5. Did you know that each satisfied customer tells five people about their positive experience?

It is crucial for an outstanding trainer to present statistics related to the session, allow participants to reflect on them, and encourage a discussion on their relevance and applicability to their own work environments.

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We had already presented four steps in our previous article on how to deliver slides for training courses. In this article, we will continue explaining those steps while providing a summary of the previous ones.

An outstanding trainer should allocate approximately two minutes for each slide in front of the trainees, which may slightly increase or decrease.

Example: If the training session lasts 3.5 hours (excluding breaks), the number of slides should be around 100. The trainer should also prepare 50 extra slides for backup, making a total of 150 slides for a 3.5-hour training session. Thus, a three-day training course would require about 450 slides.

The trainer must be aware that most training sessions average 4 hours, with a 30-minute break in between.

Example: During one training course at the Ibn Haytham Center, part of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, titled "How to Become a Charismatic and Attractive Personality?", the course lasted 5 days at a rate of 4 hours per day. I prepared about 750 slides for it, averaging 150 slides per day.

Slide Content

An outstanding trainer ensures the slides are diverse, captivating, visually comfortable, and easy to read. They avoid text overload and theoretical discourse, ensuring a smooth flow between slides.

Slides Should be Varied, Easy to Read, and Follow One Another in Harmony and Coherence

Here is a proposed layout and sequence for slide presentation:

• First slide: Displays the course title in large font (size 72), the institution's name, trainer's name, organizing body, and course date in smaller font (size 40), along with the institution's logo and an illustrative image related to the course.
• Introduction: After welcoming the attendees, present a slide with one to three short stories (3–5 minutes each) related to the course topic to engage the audience and allow latecomers to catch up.
• Self-introduction slide: The trainer introduces themselves briefly, highlighting key achievements, especially in training.
• Attendee introduction slide: Each participant shares their name, workplace, years of experience, and a positive word starting with the first letter of their name for added excitement.
• Detailed objectives: Present each objective on a separate slide.
• “Did you know?” slide: Provides brief statistics related to the course topic.
• Quiz slides: Include 20 questions to assess the participants’ prior knowledge, each question on a separate slide. These should be true/false or multiple-choice questions rather than open-ended ones.

At this point, the trainer calculates the participants' average pre-course knowledge, then repeats the quiz at the end to measure the knowledge gained.

• Start with the first objective: The trainer continues with a varied presentation style, alternating between questions, stories, individual and group exercises, videos, role-playing, brainstorming sessions, polls, and open discussions.
• Personal action plan slide: The course concludes with a personal action plan slide and a re-administration of the knowledge test to measure improvement. Any increase above 10% indicates the trainees benefited from the course. Based on previous experience, a well-designed course typically results in a 25% increase in knowledge.
• Evaluation: The trainees then evaluate the trainer’s performance, the course content, and the extent of its benefits.

Example: In one course for the Mumtazeen Foundation titled "Skills for Enhancing Efficiency and Increasing Achievements", participants answered 24 true/false questions at the beginning. Their average pre-course knowledge was 77%. By the end of the course, it reached 100%, indicating a 23% improvement—a highly acceptable result in the training field.

Fifth Step: Developing the Course and Adapting It to the Local Environment

An outstanding trainer learns from trainees' evaluations, constantly improving their skills and adapting course content to fit the local environment.

An Outstanding Trainer Benefits from Trainees' Feedback and Adapts the Course Content to Suit the Local Context

Examples:

• Oil Sector Course: For the Kuwait Chemical Industries Company, titled "How to Motivate Others at No Cost?", feedback suggested shortening the video presentations. Initially lasting 30 minutes, the videos were divided into three shorter segments of 5–10 minutes each, followed by a discussion.
• Kuwait Oil Tanker Company Course: Feedback highlighted the need to use local scenarios and practical examples relevant to the local environment, such as body language differences between Kuwaitis and international standards.
• Kuwait National Petroleum Company Course: Global statistics were adjusted to reflect local realities. For instance, the main fear factor in Western countries was public speaking, while in developing countries, financial difficulties ranked first.
• Guest Speaker Suggestion: For a course by Kuwait Oil Company, a suggestion was made to invite a prominent local figure. Engineer Issa Bouyabes, head of Kuwait’s oil well firefighting team, was invited to share valuable practical insights.
• Health Assurance Hospitals Company Course: Trainees requested a 15-minute discussion period at the end of the course. This became a standard practice for other organizations as well.
• Ministry of Higher Education Course: Trainees proposed changing the break location to a nearby café, which was implemented whenever feasible.

Thus, an outstanding trainer is always well-prepared, benefits from trainees’ evaluations, and adapts their courses to ensure they resonate with the local environment, making each session more engaging and impactful.

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The majestic speech of Allah is miraculous, and we must always reflect on this miracle, increasing in certainty and faith in Allah through His divine words. When contemplating the Quran, one should always seek deeper meanings to grasp the depth of its miracles without complication or assuming that Allah's speech is cryptic or only meant for specialized experts, as though it requires decoding for the understanding of ordinary people!

Understanding and contemplating the Quran requires focus, knowledge, and reflection, yes, but it is neither difficult to comprehend nor beyond one's capacity to feel its impact.

Among the Arabs, and even among all nations, the closest form of specialized speech is poetry. However, the Quran is not poetry; it contains no poetry and is not speech confined to specialists: “And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur'an.” (Yasin: 69)

The term “clear” appears 13 times in the Quran, signifying clarity that does not require interpretation. There are many other expressions and words indicating direct and illuminating clarity.

“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” (An-Nisa: 82) No specific type of contradiction is mentioned here, implying that differences could manifest in all forms—differences within the text, contradictions with scientific facts and evident truths, inconsistencies with reality and life, and contradictions with human nature and needs, among other aspects.

The harmony within the Quran, after acknowledging its lack of contradiction, is profound, comprehensive, and astonishing! There is harmony in the fabric of each surah, in its rhythm, its beginning with its end, in every ayah with what precedes and follows it, and even with the surah before and after it. This extends to the connection between successive words, creating a harmony that encompasses rhythm, meaning, letter characteristics, and repetition, all offering astonishing insights from various perspectives.

In Surah An-Nas, for instance, the word “Say” warrants a detailed, unpublished study I am preparing. The summary of “Say” here is that it typically follows a question (They ask you), necessitating consideration of the question to understand the response.

In the shorter surahs, however, the question is not explicitly mentioned, requiring extraction of the implied question from the response itself.

The phrase “They ask you” or “They ask” appears 14 times, always followed by “Say.”

In Surah An-Nas, identifying the implied question from the answer involves asking: From whom are we seeking refuge? And to whom do we turn for protection from the retreating whisperer?

The word “I seek refuge” appears in the present tense, indicating continuous seeking of protection.

The concept of Rububiyyah (Lordship) implies creation from nothing, compassion, nurturing, care, and protection.

(The Sovereign of mankind) denotes His eternal dominion over them.

(The God of mankind) indicates that He alone is worthy of worship and supreme control.

The surah's significant message lies in the remarkable emphasis on humanity's great value to Allah, as He attributes them to Himself three consecutive times: “Lord of mankind,” “Sovereign of mankind,” and “God of mankind.” This repeated association prepares the reader to feel Allah's attention and care, facilitating acceptance, obedience, and closeness to Him.

What is striking about Surah An-Nas is the gathering of these three attributes—Lordship, Sovereignty, and Divinity—against a single evil: the retreating whisperer. In contrast, Surah Al-Falaq calls for seeking refuge in one attribute of Allah against four evils. The reliance on three of Allah's attributes against a single evil implies the immense danger of this whisperer and the destructive impact of his actions on creation, humanity, societies, and nations. He incites humans to destroy civilizations, obliterate ancestral achievements, stir up discord among people, and instigate strife among nations. This necessitates seeking refuge with the One who commands and controls the universe, as only its Creator, God, and Sovereign can counter the whispering from humans or jinn.

This suggests the gravity of the whisperer's influence and the devastating consequences of his satanic work. The Quranic prelude warns creation to be vigilant against whispers, whether from humans or jinn, urging constant avoidance and caution.

Mere caution and avoidance are insufficient; proactive measures are necessary to counter whispers and their foundations.

Whispering is a hidden, silent, or very quiet act. If the whisperer is from the jinn, there is no sound or visible effect—only thoughts and the sharing of ideas and desires.

It is essential to pause and consider the issue of desires. Desires represent hope, aspiration, and dreams. Imagine the danger of infiltrating all these areas through whispering into one’s aspirations and dreams.

“And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke [or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. But Allah abolishes that which Satan throws in; then Allah makes precise His verses. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Al-Hajj: 52) How terrifying! The primary targets of this whispering are the prophets and messengers themselves—none were excluded, and Shaitan infiltrated every one of their aspirations. Yet Allah removes what Shaitan inserts and perfects His signs.

If the whisperer is human, he cannot be characterized by aggression, impulsiveness, or creating noise and clamor. He is usually diplomatic, smiling, and perhaps even likable. Look carefully around you and in all directions.

The word Al-Khannas (retreating) appears in an intensive form, denoting frequent and intense withdrawal. If he is human, he is undoubtedly a coward who constantly fears his words being discovered or made public. Human concealment may be hidden behind slogans, organizations, secret societies, or humanitarian fronts.

Strength, awareness, and preventive measures intimidate both human and jinn whisperers. The most critical strength is inner strength and personal fortitude. A weak soul is often the victim that responds and succumbs. Strength at the community or organizational level further intimidates and thwarts the schemer.

For centuries, secret, destructive, concealed movements have existed, lurking under countless disguises. These include the Qarmatians, the Assassins, various esoteric groups, Freemasonry, and Rotary Clubs, all of which change names over time.

This whispering does not target peripheral aspects but aims at the most crucial part of a human being—their heart, mind, and emotions. Whispering attacks the core of people—their chests. The heart represents the intellect and emotions, while what people commonly understand as the “beating heart” is only a metaphorical association due to its anatomical importance as the organ pumping blood. Its central placement in the body aligns with its metaphorical significance.

But what is the secret behind the repeated use of the letter “Seen (س)” in Surah An-Nas, which occurs ten times?

The letter “Seen” has four weak characteristics: Hams (whispering), Ar-Rakhawa (flexibility), Al-Istifal (lowering), and Al-Infitah (separating).

Thus, the “Seen” distinctly embodies the nature of the whispering Shaitan’s work, characterized by subtlety, quietness, and movement without sound. This implies cowardice, deception, and an inability to confront a person connected to Allah directly—whether the whisperer is from among jinn or humans, as mentioned earlier.

Whispering and concealment indicate proximity and influence. Whispering into the ear or chest only occurs from someone close and firmly positioned, so every heedless or suspicious person must stay alert.

Whispering is the quietest form of movement.

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We continue in this article to present the supportive qualities of an outstanding trainer, which help them attract trainees and ensure maximum benefit from the training course.

9. Praise and Encouragement:

Trainees naturally appreciate a trainer who praises their ideas and encourages their participation.

For instance, in one of the training courses for the Kuwait Teachers Association, I posed a question to the trainees about the importance of a trainer ensuring respect or affection from their trainees. I asked, "Which is more important: the trainer ensuring respect from the trainees or their affection?"

One trainee responded, "There can be no respect without affection first." However, this response contradicts many managerial scholars, who assert that a trainer should prioritize respect first, with affection possibly coming later—or not at all.

In this situation, I did not tell the trainee that his answer was wrong. Instead, I said, "Some may agree with you on this view, while others believe that respect comes before affection. What do you think, everyone?"

Trainees Appreciate a Trainer Who Praises Their Ideas and Encourages Their Participation

This approach fosters dialogue among trainees and praises their perspectives.

Trainees love trainers who praise their ideas and encourage participation.
Another example: During a course held at the Petroleum Training Center titled "Bridging the Gap Between Generations in the Workplace," I asked a question about the percentage of mutual trust between trainees and their supervisors in the workplace. To make the discussion engaging, I wrote the global percentage on the back of the flip chart in the training hall without showing it to anyone. The figure was 71%.

I then asked each trainee to write their estimated percentage on a piece of paper and circle it, ensuring they wouldn’t reconsider their answer or be influenced by others.

After collecting the answers, I calculated the average, which turned out to be 71.5%. Everyone was surprised when I revealed the figure on the flip chart, which was very close to their collective estimate. This opened a discussion to explore the reasons behind the higher estimates and the lower ones.

From this, we conclude that such discussions highlight the significance of high mutual trust between individuals and their supervisors and its impact on improving performance levels. Therefore, an outstanding trainer must strive to build a strong sense of mutual trust between themselves and the trainees.

10. Optimism and Positivity:

Trainees also appreciate trainers who are optimistic and possess a positive mindset, using uplifting words that paint bright images in their minds.

For example, if a trainer says a kind word like "tree," the trainee imagines a tree’s image in their mind rather than the letters that make up the word. They don’t see the letters t, r, or e. Thus, an outstanding trainer should choose positive words during their courses to create constructive imagery in the trainees' minds.

In one course, I told the trainees, "I don’t want you to imagine a red rose in your minds." Then I asked them, "What do you see in your imagination?" They all replied, "We see a red rose!" Hence, words inevitably draw images in the trainees’ minds.

The following exercise helps trainers select positive words. Always use these positive phrases instead of their negative counterparts:

• Say: Be assured, instead of Don’t worry.
• Say: Reward and well-being, instead of Hope you don’t get sick.
• Say: It seems manageable, instead of It’s extremely difficult.
• Say: Let’s try to accomplish this, instead of This is impossible.
• Say: There’s flexibility in this matter, instead of We’ve run out of options.
• Say: The fee for this course is an investment in your success, instead of This course fee is expensive.
• Say: Registration for this course is straightforward, instead of Registration procedures are lengthy.
• Say: I hope time allows me, instead of Time might run out on me.
• Say: The course material is easy to grasp, instead of Some may find this material difficult.
• Say: Following the course guidelines is beneficial, instead of Beware of violating the course rules.
• Say: We aim to bring joy to the course, instead of This course is serious, beware of boredom!
• Say: Remain calm and patient, instead of Don’t rush.
• Say: Rejoice, the air in this hall is fresh, instead of There might be unpleasant smells from outside.
• Say: Your punctuality pleases me, instead of Your lateness will upset me.
• Say: There’s a solution that will satisfy you, instead of There’s a problem that will harm you.
• Say: Your signature here is an honor for me, instead of Sign here so you’re not marked absent.
• Say: Your presence brings me joy, instead of Your absence pains me.
• Say: Join this team, instead of Don’t be isolated.

...The Optimist Who Uses Positive Words to Paint Vibrant Images in Their Minds

Here’s an example: In one training course for the Health Assurance Hospitals Company (Dhaman) titled "Excellence in Customer Service," I asked the trainees to come up with phrases for addressing patients, whether via the company’s call center, during their reception at the hospital, during nurse and doctor visits, during treatment, upon discharge, or during follow-ups after their recovery.

The responses were as follows:

• Welcome! This is Dhaman Hospital. I hope you’re having a wonderful day. How may I assist you?
• Rest assured, the hospital admission process is smooth, and we’re happy to have you with us.
• Following health instructions is beneficial, and your early visit delights us.
• Your signature on this form is an honor for us, and we’ll always remember you fondly.
• You’ll find everything you need in our hospital, from excellent service to nutritious food, refreshing air, and top-notch cleanliness.
• You’ll find assistance with your discharge process.
• You’ll receive follow-up calls to check on your health status.
• Calmness and patience in diagnosis is our motto.
• The treatment fees will bring you health and well-being by Allah’s grace.
• The expertise of our doctors is a source of pride for us, and the medical staff supporting them are a badge of honor.

Based on this, if an outstanding trainer aspires to succeed, they must be optimistic and avoid using negative words.

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