Portfolio 6 Submission

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Category: Level1, Portfolio 6 Reflective portfolio (Summary of Year)

Published: Wednesday, 13 January 2021 17:14

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1, ePortfolio as repository of artefacts

PDP & Employability 10 Questions

Questions 1-6 were issued earlier in the year

You may want to check your previous answers and see if you have better answers to give now. Also remember that we want to see you give examples in your answers – don’t write in a completely abstract sense. 

1. Attention to detail: When undertaking a specific project or task, how do you ensure details are not overlooked?

I try to plan out and read the task or project carefully before starting it, to get a better overview or understanding of everything, this will help me to be able to start the project confidently, if I do get stuck and don’t understand something then I will ask someone else for help, like a tutor or searching for answers online. I also try to not forget or avoid small details.

2. Decisiveness: What do you do when something needs to be done but no one is there to give you guidance?

I would look for help online and take my time trying to complete the task to the best of my ability. I could look for online chats or question pages where other people might be able to answer my problems or talk to people with a similar problem.  I would look at the work or task carefully and do everything that I can to complete the work even if it’s not going to be perfect.  When I really don’t understand or can’t find anything I would just leave the task until I can get help from another person or source, but this would be my last resort.

3. Lifelong Learning and Development: What have you done outside of formal study to develop your skills?

Outside of formal study I get to improve on my English skills and get to know culture from everywhere from the world, as I go to table tennis and have a lot of people from my personal life that I can talk to, to improve my overall knowledge of the world. I mostly get to self-educate myself in different ways and on different topics.  Even planning my future is beneficial as I will have more time to develop skills in that I will need for the future.

4. Personal Development: How do you decide whether a task has gone well or not and what you would do differently next time?

Once I finish my work I check it over multiple times to see if there is room for improvement, once I’m happy with the final product I  know that the task has gone well, as I have given it everything I have.  I also get other people to check my work for me once I’m finished. If the other person sees something that needs to be improved I will work to improve on it. I will take the given feedback I have received to my finished work and will use the feedback to improve on works that I might get in the future.

5. Interpersonal Sensitivity: It is sometimes difficult to form an amicable relationship with new people. Think about an example of how you have coped with such a situation. What did you do?

I was once anxious to work be working in a group project as I haven’t before had to work in a group and I was also the only female in the group and I wasn’t sure how they would treat me or how they would behave, I also didn’t think I was skilled or had enough knowledge for this project as the others in my group did. To cope with the situation I just tried to get the members in my group better to ease the tension between everyone in the group, this way I realised that they were all friendly and had no mean intentions or bad feelings towards me so I was able to calm down and not think of similar situations so negatively.

6. Tolerance for Stress: Think about a time when you achieved a great deal in a short amount of time, how did you feel? What was the outcome?

When working on PPW5, I had to work with the Unity programme using C# scripting language. I had 5 days to create a functioning video game,  this was difficult as working with Unity for me was very challenging and I also haven’t worked with the programme before so i had to learn to use it and understand how it works in a short amount of time. Unity was very complex for me and had too many functions and uses to learn in only 5 days. This made me feel frustrated to try and finish my project in time, I was also feeling very tired at the end of the 5 days and sometimes during as I was working so much and so hard on finishing the project. Even though I was stressed I was working and concentrating on the project to complete it the best I can, I tried not to let stress or how overwhelmed I was to get the best of me.

Questions 7-10 issued as part of Portfolio 6

Remember that we want to see you give examples in your answers.

7.Achievement Orientation: Thinking about a difficult task you were required to undertake, what extra effort did you exert to achieve the goals set and accomplish a task? 

Networking is one of my weakest areas, when working on networking I understand the concepts and everything but when it came to working on the computers and doing it physically I found it very difficult. So I asked for extra help from my tutors and other classmates to help me understand and complete the work better, I also looked for help online by reading more about how to do it and how to complete some of the tasks.

8. Leadership: Describe your leadership style and give an example of a situation when you successfully led a group. 

When I was working in a small takeaway, food shop, when my manager wasn’t there I would take over and be in charge, I would have to lead 4 other people to keep the business running successfully. I would normally ask if someone had a problem with their given tasks and if they did I would arrange for someone else who would willingly do the job to complete the task. As a leader I had to make sure that there was no conflict and that everyone was comfortable with the given tasks, I also had to make sure that the other people trusted and respected me enough to not be afraid to turn to me for any problems and advice.

9. Listening: What have you done to improve your listening skills? 

I haven’t been to school or a similar environment in a long time, so I had to have time to get used to having to listen to the tutors and having to take notes at the same time. There were also situations where the other people in my class were being loud or noisy so I had to focus and concentrate on what the tutor was saying. There was one lesson where others were talking  very loudly next to me, so I asked them to be quite and the next lesson I moved to the front of the class and away from all the noise to be able to listen better to the tutor.

10. Judgement: How do you react to having more than one solution provided to solve an issue? 

When there are multiple solutions, I see it as an advantage as I have multiple ways to completing the task, whereas if I didn’t have any solutions to a problem I would be stressed to complete the task. For example when I had to create a website, there was a scripting language which have multiple ways to complete the same task, the first one was where you could complete it using three rows, the second one was using only 1 row. In the end I ended up using the simplest solution as creating a website can be complicated as it is so doing it the simplest way is the most time and space saving solution to the issue.

 2) ePortfolio as a curated showcase.

7 module learning outcomes

1. Fundamental knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of computer science 

Theoretical computer science, or TCS, is a subset of general computer science and mathematics that focuses on more mathematical topics of computing and includes the theory of computation and is the use of mathematical thinking and techniques to understand computer science. Applied Computer Science is more commonly known as: Computing, Software Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering, Computer Game Design, Programming and you can study vocational courses in all these. 

I think that you may be equating theoretical computer science with complexity theory. That is an important part of theoretical computer science, but theory is important in many more fields too, such as machine learning and algorithmics and data structures. The best algorithms tend to have solid theoretical underpinnings, and are usually either invented by theoreticians, or theoreticians are the first to explain why they work well and what their limitations are. 

The Software (SW) is Electronically stored data, sets of instructions that tell a computer what to do, programs, operating instructions for task based applications, programs and associated documentation (requirements, designs, user manuals). Importantly, there are two types of Software: System Software: the computer can work e.g. the Operating System and Applications Software: people can do work on the computer e.g. Word Processor, Drawing Package, web browser. 

Engineering is making things: cost-effective, market forces, market driven solutions. Applying scientific knowledge to solve commercial/industrial problems. Applies to analysing the problem, and designing and building an economic and practical solution that will operate as intended. Engineers design and build: Structures, Machines, Software. Systematic, controlled, cost-effective, scientific approach to the development, operation and maintenance of Software using appropriate tools and techniques According to the constraints you are working within. 

I learned about Mind Maps fives things I need to know, first is main position is given to the central idea, second is the primary themes flow from the central image as 'branches', third is the branches are symbolic of the main ideas that connect to the central idea, fourth is the secondary ideas and facts are shown as 'twigs' of the major related branch, fifth is all the branches are linked together is a proper organized structure. These resources will help you in your study skills generally – not just for this piece of work. So you should work through them methodically. Brainstorming using mind maps this will not only help with mind mapping but in planning to do any task or assignment. So I learned how to use mind maps for note taking. 

I had learned from the problem that the main problem needs to be addressed and broken down into small pieces. It is then easier to examine each problem and the relationship between them too. 

My group opportunity the contract to build the network is out to tender. My group job is to offer your company’s services for the contract. Using a Funderland Network Design Ltd. Brainstorm. Main position is Funderland Network Design Ltd given to the central idea. Second is the primary themes flow from the central image as 'branches' Members, Products and References. Third is the branches are symbolic of the main ideas that connect to the central idea for example Fair Price, Experience and Motivation. Considering the different stages I distinguished stages with different colors and shapes to make the brain storm clearer. 

2. Understanding of standards, formats and tools used in the design of information, multimedia and web-based systems 

I created a basic web document using HTML and text editor, explored the web browser, used Google search and published to a server. HTML is the language for building web pages; with HTML I can also create my own websites. HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, it describes the structure of web pages using markup, HTML elements are represented by tags and are the building blocks of HTML pages. HTML tags label pieces of content such as “Heading” and “Table”; however browsers do not display the HTML tags, but use it to render the content of the page. 

I created style sheets to change the look and feel of my web documents, the documents will then be published to the university web server using File Transfer Protocol. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, it describes how HTML elements are to be displayed on screen, paper or other medias, it can control the layout of multiple web pages all at once. 

I created some basic client side scripts using Javascript. Javascript is the programming language of HTML and the Web. Using Javascript I can do anything that a regular language like Java allows, such as; declaring variables, storing and retrieving values, defining and invoking functions, defining my own classes, loading and using external modules and writing event handlers that respond to users and other events. 

I worked with a SQlite database using a DB browser. SQL stands for Structured Query Language; this is the standard language for storing, manipulating and retrieving data, insert records, update records, delete or create new records in a database. Whilst working with SQL I also worked with PHP to create a basic database driven web page. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, PHP is a server scripting language and a powerful tool for making dynamic and interactive Web pages. 

Overall, I have learned to use all these scripting languages to create a functioning Website. Before starting web development I didn’t have any understanding or knowledge of anything to do with the topic, so I have gained a great deal of new knowledge in web development and scripting languages. During my learning process of web development I used other websites and other sources, such as; “w3schools.com”, text editors, notepad ++ and Wordpress. 

Web development was one of my favourite topics, because I liked to see the things that I have achieved and created visually. It was also easy to understand and I found it easy and quick to learn. My tutors Andrew and Dave were also great help and support when it came to any problems, they provide a lot of help during lectures and they were also great at explaining everything clearly and in detail.

In the end web development I have learned how to create web pages and applications that work in a modern web browser. I have also used a range of tools and technologies to create dynamic and interactive applications. 

Using all the scripting languages I have created a web application for a day care organisation. This application included has a choice of ages, the session length, extra activities and the number of days the child will be staying. The organisation worked with kids aged 3 to 11, the children could stay for a full day or half a day and the children had activity choices such as, football, gymnastics, table tennis and swimming.  At the end of the application below the “Submit” button the data that has been entered shows up along with the total cost for the services that will be provided. The design and layout of the web application was also created using scripting language, I used bright and bold colours to capture the audiences or customers attention, the use of the colours are also to show that this is aimed towards children and parents. 

3. Appraisal of the fundamental operation of computer systems, network architectures, hardware components, operating systems and associated protocols and data structures 

This is all about the personal computer hardware, operating systems and security and the Fundamentals of networking. We learnt about converting decimal numbers to 8-bit Binary and vice versa, plus how to convert Binary into hexadecimal. This is important because computers use binary to do things, binary is 0 and 1 which mean on for 1 and off for 0.

I created a cable that I can connect to the network. We learnt about Networking and what it is. We learnt about the cabling of a network, focusing on a simple hub. We also learnt about the different typologies, Bus, Ring and Star being the early ones and the later ones being Mesh and Tree.

Using an IP address and cables I created my first network. An IP address is a unique string of numbers separated by full stops that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network.

We learnt about Consoling a network device and we got introduced to simple Cisco IOS commands. The operating system that the switches use is called the Cisco Internetworking Operating System or Cisco IOS for short. Have four Cisco IOS configuration modes: Global Configuration Mode, User Mode, Privileged Mode, Interface Configuration Mode.

We got introduced to Network Simulations – Packet Tracer. We got a Cisco account and connected to Packet Tracer 101. In the networking industry we make use of network simulators to design and test our proposed networks.  We do this to make sure our designs work before we spend a lot of an organisations budget buying a lot of network kit which may not work when put together. I learned all about Network Simulators and how useful they are at allowing us to test and improve networks long before they are physically built.

We have learned how to built single switch-based networks, but now we need to see how network traffic moves between different networks.  To do this we need routers. We learned about routers and what they do, also a gentle introduction to subnets and static routing. Routers share routing information using routing protocols – provided that each router is using the same routing protocol, they should be able to share the knowledge of the networks that are directly connected to them, with other routers to see how one is used to separate and control traffic between different network areas. I created increase the number of routers and we will see how they use dynamic routing protocols as.

I learned media access control address (MAC address) of a device is a unique identifier assigned to network interface controllers for communications at the data link layer of a network segment. MAC addresses are used as a network address, including Ethernet and Wi-Fi. In this context, MAC addresses are used in the medium access control protocol sublayer. Wireshark is an open source tool for profiling network traffic and analyzing packets. Such a tool is often referred to as a network analyzer, network protocol analyzer or sniffer.

Overall, I have learned VLANs and routing between them and Dynamic Host Control Protocol(DHPC). In this week’s session, we will set up this network completely using layer 3 switches.

Overall, I have learned  of what will be involved in the networking modules at learn basic networking skills and knowledge that will help in any career in computing and IT and I learned about opportunities to gain extra qualifications in Networking .The  strand will also cover a basic understanding of computer architecture.

I was afraid I could not keep up with the curriculum but I loved every single performance. It was also not easy to understand but I found it easy and quick to learn. My tutors Andrew, Stephen Kingham and David Evans were also great help and support when it came to any problems, they provide a lot of help during lectures and they were also great at explaining everything clearly and in detail.

In PPW3 I worked in the group the task was we created Network Systems. The type of system they wish to roll out is called public network Direct-Recording Electronic voting, or DRE. This type of system uses electronic ballots and transmits vote data from the polling station to another location over a public network. It is required that the system operate across a specially built network infrastructure for use on polling day by the general public.  Of course it is very important that a secure network solution is in place to safeguard voter confidentiality and to ensure that votes get back to the collection databases.

4. Recognition of the need for adaptable approaches to problem solving. 

Problem solving is a process in which we perceive and resolve a gap between a present situation and a desired goal, with the path to the goal blocked by known or unknown obstacles. Decision making is a selection process where one of two or more possible solutions is chosen to reach a desired goal. The steps in both problem solving and decision making are quite similar. 

Most models of problem solving and decision making include at least four phases: first an Input phase in which a problem is perceived and an attempt is made to understand the situation or problem; second a Processing phase in which alternatives are generated and evaluated and a solution is selected; third an Output phase which includes planning for and implementing the solution and forth a Review phase in which the solution is evaluated and modifications are made, if necessary. Most researchers describe the problem-solving/decision-making process as beginning with the perception of a gap and ending with the implementation and evaluation of a solution to fill that gap. Each phase of the process includes specific steps to be completed before moving to the next phase. Although there are a variety of ways to consider individual differences relative to problem solving and decision making. 

It is not enough to describe a problem-solving process and to describe how individuals differ in their approach to or use of it. It is also necessary to identify specific techniques of attending to individual differences. Fortunately, a variety of problem-solving techniques have been identified to accommodate individual preferences. 

Brainstorming is an excellent technique to begin the problem-solving process. Brainstorming is an excellent technique to begin the problem-solving process. Individually, participants quickly write possible solutions, share these alternatives as a group in a non-judgmental fashion, and continue to brainstorm. Participants then classify, categorize, and prioritize problems, forming a hierarchy of the most important to the least important. 

In the Processing phase the task is to develop, evaluate, and select alternatives and solutions that can solve the problem. The first step in this phase is to develop alternatives or possible solutions. During the Output phase a plan is developed and the solution actually implemented. The plan must be sufficiently detailed to allow for successful implementation, and methods of evaluation must be considered and developed. 

This helped me learn about Problem solving individually and in the group. From improving my problem solving skills it will also help me improve my programming skills. 

In PPW 4 I worked in a SQLite database using: HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP to create a database. I created a brainstorm which I followed so I can easily complete the task given. 

On the third day of the task I found myself stuck because of a problem that I have found. I noticed that the delete record function had something wrong with it. I started to try and find the problem step by step so I could find the source of the problem. 

I debugged the script and there were no problems with it, but once I deleted a record from the database it said it has deleted it but it hasn’t, I figured out that I used wrong parameters which caused this to happen. I used in instead of String.

In conclusion I solved this by using the things that I have learnt in class to help me solve this problem. During this task, it was all to do with problem solving, this was quite stressful because when I made a mistake there was nothing to notify me of what was wrong or if anything was wrong.

5. Appreciation of the social, ethical, professional and legal issues associated with the development and use of computer based systems. 

Ethics is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.

Computer ethics is a part of practical philosophy concerned with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. A code of acceptable behaviour within a specific situation/context/culture, Principles and rules governing moral behaviour, right & wrong and Professional standards. 

Legal and ethical questions affect many areas of computing including privacy, sharing, hacking and the environment. Ethics in Computer Science/IT for example: Surveillance – from CCTV to government monitoring of communication on the internet, Software correctness, reliability, Wikileaks, Children accessing the www, Intellectual property, Copyright, Privacy and anonymity, Junk email, The hacker ethic, Social implications, Computing in the workplace positive and negative, Crime and Professional responsibility. Professional bodies are usually prescribe a discretionary or mandatory code of conduct for their members. A group of people in a learned occupation. People have certification and continuous professional development. Organizations which represent the interest of the professional practitioners. 

This was the hardest for me, it was hard for me to understand most of the language and descriptions used, as my English isn’t very good and most of the language used was complex and hard to understand at times, this slowed me down in completing this task and this caused me to be stressed. 

At the CET101 presentation, I learnt about ethics and about professionalism. In ethics we learnt that it is important to keep in mind, surveillance, software correctness, children accessing the www, copyright, viruses, professional responsibility etc. these are important for the safety of people and their information. From a professional body member I would expect; Continuous professional development, Confidentiality and legal requirements.

I also learnt about Codes of conduct, codes of practice and standards, Computer law and Ethical decision making. Finally I learnt about computer law which consists of Contract law, Intellectual property law, Data protection law, Computer misuse law and Computer evidence.

 If I were to use anything from the web such as, big pieces of information, an image or just something that doesn’t belong to me then I would need to make a reference to it in my work. I have learnt the laws and guidelines that need to be followed when you have a job in computing or a job to do with computers. I will try to be careful and pay attention to everything I do, I will try to also practice it more and get used to having to do this. 

I created a website using all the social, ethical, professional and legal issues associated. I keeping in mind what we have discussed in terms of ethics and professionalism, and be aware that I was required to work under the university’s IT acceptable use policy which I can access here. Note in particular under internet unacceptable use: Use, transmission, duplication, or voluntary receipt of material that infringes on the copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, or patent rights of any person or organisation. All users must assume that all materials on the Internet are copyright and/or patented unless specific notices state otherwise. Creation, posting, transmission, or voluntary receipt of any unlawful, offensive, libellous, threatening, harassing material, including but not limited to comments based on race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or political beliefs. 

I made a reference page where you can find all the references I used during this assignment. My tutor Andrew provided a lot of help during lectures and he was also great at explaining everything clearly and in detail. So I took into consideration the social, ethical, professional and legal issues associated.

6. Ability to specify and contextualize a problem and communicate effectively an appropriate solution to a range of audiences 

Transferable skills are a core set of skills and personal attributes that you can develop almost anywhere. They allow you to be adaptable and to succeed in virtually any work or school environment, as well as in everyday life. Here is a list of transferable skills which are highly sought after by employers: Research & Planning, Thinking, and Personal Skills and to identify the skills you are developing. 

People skills: Communication skills is the ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, through a variety of methods and across situations. Effective communication skills are central to building relationships and clearly transferring information between people.

Teamwork skills is The ability to successfully build relationships and work collaboratively with others in a group. Work is most often completed alongside others, so individuals who collaborate and self-regulate to work effectively within a team are a vital asset for any organization or group.

Leadership skills is the ability to take the lead, delegate tasks, make decisions, mentor and motivate others. The ability to bring new ideas to fruition and respectfully lead others are key to the success of a project or team.

Research and Planning Skills: Planning and Organization skills is the ability to plan, organize, manage and complete projects or tasks effectively while meeting deadlines.

Effective time management and organization skills are essential in managing workload, meeting deadlines and producing quality work in any environment.

Technology skills is the ability to understand, learn and use basic technologies to perform tasks. The ability to quickly learn and utilize basic technology and computer software is essential in today’s rapidly changing world.

Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking skills is the ability to analyze, contextualize, make connections and reflect on information to create, evaluate and find deeper meaning.

The ability to think reflectively and provide evidence to support ideas is essential to independently reaching well-informed conclusions.

Creative problem solving skills is the ability to identify a problem from which to explore, evaluate and implement creative solutions. Creative problem solving encourages looking at situations from multiple angles to generate innovative solutions.

Personal Skills: Positive Attitude and Initiatives is when you strive to be positive in your life and in the work you do while seeking new ideas, solutions and opportunities. Taking initiative and developing a positive attitude in the work that you do helps to instill pride, purpose and growth. 

We need to build a network system. We had to work in groups where we had to focus on problem solving, network design, research and communication skills. My first task was to write a skills audit where I had to write about all the skills that I have so far in computing. Then we had to present our ideas and work to the class. 

In PPW3 was a group project/exam, in this I have learnt about working as a group, we have worked out different ways to communicate and to sent each other our works if they needed to be reviewed, I was always looking to the other people in my group for approval and ways to improve the work I have done. We didn’t always work alone we had also worked in pairs, like when creating our logo I worked alongside another group member where we were constantly sharing opinions and suggestions. Whenever I found any problems or had any difficulties I would always turn to the other people in the group or from lectures. Through this experience of working as a group I have improved my English skills, have improved my skills in group work as I never had to work in a group to do something like the task that we were given. Furthermore, improving my English skills to have better communication skills with other people down the road. Overall, I was happy and nervous about having to work in a group as it was something I haven’t done before, but I also received a lot of help from my group members. 

7. Use of software engineering techniques to design, code, test and evaluate a range of software solutions 

Software engineers (SEs), also called software developers, work closely with clients to plan and create software systems. SEs analyze user needs, company requirements, and budget, and they design, develop, and implement a software solution based on those demands. They then give the instructions to computer programmers, who write the software codes. After testing the quality of the program, software engineers are concerned with maintaining the software systems to ensure reliability and efficiency. 

Use of software engineering techniques to design: Requirement Elicitation and Analysis: involves the determination of the exact requirements of the system, System Specification: is used in deriving what the system should do, without saying how this is to be achieved, Design: phase is intended towards addressing how the system is to be implemented, Implementation: phase is traditionally described as programming, Unit and System testing: aims to trap bugs, Maintenance: keeps the system updated for new changes that need to be implemented. 

Software Development is a complex and multidimensional task. The development process should not only concentrate on just writing the code but also focus on the cost effective methods. Cost and time are the major constraints of software development process. Program slicing has unique importance in addressing the issues of cost. It is a program analysis technique which provides mechanism to analyze and understand the program behaviour for further restructuring and refinement. 

Software testing is a very broad area, which involves many other technical and non-technical areas, such as specification, design and implementation, maintenance, process and management issues in software engineering. The testing of software is an important means of assessing the software to determine its quality. The general aim of testing is to affirm the quality of software systems by systematically exercising the software in carefully controlled circumstances. Testing should have the major intent of finding errors. A good test is one that has a high probability of finding an as yet undiscovered error, and a successful test is one that uncovers an as yet undiscovered error. Testing is the dynamic analysis of a piece of software, requiring execution of the system to produce results, which are then compared to expected outputs. 

When learning and using software engineering techniques I was excited, because I really like this part of the course as I would like to pursue a career in this sort of area. However I was still a little frustrated at times because there were certain parts in the task and assignment that were difficult and too complex for what I am used to. Whenever I was struggling I could always rely on my lecturers, I could also use the internet and forums to help me if I ever had any problems. 

In this section of the course I had to use all the things l learned about C# and I had to create an application where the user can add or just view jokes, such as “Joke of the day” or “Add a new joke”, they could also “search”.  I had to create this application using Microsoft Visual Studio. When creating this application I had to include all the previously learnt C# techniques, such as; Requirement elicitation and analysis, system specification, design, implementation, unit and system testing and maintenance. 

 I have used the C# Handbook that I have received from my lecturer, I also used web forums with information about the specific information and things that I need, and I also used Microsoft Visual Studio. First I designed how the program will look visually, where I used the tools provide in the tool bar to create the image, then in the properties I could alter the way everything looked.

Then I moved onto coding, where I used the knowledge that I have learned from pervious lessons to complete.

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