Canadian-based critical minerals company E3 Lithium has commissioned Phase 2 of its Clearwater Project Demonstration Facility in Alberta and confirmed lithium concentrations of 75.8 milligrams per liter in brine produced during ongoing reservoir testing.

The company said the latest results support the consistency of lithium-bearing brine chemistry across the Clearwater Project and the broader Bashaw District, a key factor as it advances plans for commercial lithium production.

The demonstration facility is currently being used to test reservoir performance over an extended period. Brine is pumped from a production well and immediately reinjected into a separate injection well, allowing engineers to evaluate flow behavior and reservoir response under operating conditions.

According to the Alberta-based company, the facility achieved stable production and injection through the well pair. During early operations, an electrical submersible pump maintained the targeted flow rate of 1,400 cubic meters per day.

Brine tests confirm consistency

The company regularly collected brine samples during operations and sent them to an independent third-party laboratory for analysis. Results confirmed lithium concentrations of 75.8 mg/L, matching expectations for the resource.

E3 said the reservoir data generated through the testing campaign will be used to update its reservoir development plan and support a feasibility study for the Clearwater Project.

The next stage of operations will focus on analyzing the relationship between brine and natural gas within the reservoir. The information is expected to support the design of the front end of a future commercial processing plant.

The demonstration facility forms part of E3’s broader effort to reduce technical risks before moving toward large-scale lithium production.

“With Phase 2 operations underway, E3 has begun a series of project-scale de-risking activities for the Clearwater Project,” said Chris Doornbos, CEO and chair of E3 Lithium.

The company added that the current campaign has already processed more brine through the two new wells than all of its previous testing programs combined.

Scaling toward production

Lithium demand continues to grow as automakers and battery manufacturers seek additional supplies of the metal used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

For E3, the demonstration facility serves as a bridge between laboratory-scale testing and commercial deployment. Data collected from reservoir operations, brine chemistry studies, and future process testing will be used to refine engineering designs and operating plans.

“We have already moved more brine through these two wells than E3 has handled through all its previous testing combined, and we expect to continue to operate the pump as needed over the coming 24 months,” Doornbos said.

He added that confirmation of reservoir performance and lithium grades at the new wells strengthens confidence in the predictability of the resource.

The company plans to continue operating the demonstration facility while advancing front-end engineering design work and completing a feasibility study for the project. The resulting data will help determine the design of a future commercial facility and support decisions related to full-scale development.

China has launched a new research laboratory dedicated to photonic computing, a technology that uses light instead of electricity to process information and could help address the growing power demands of artificial intelligence and advanced computing.

The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Integrated Photonic Computing Chips and Systems was officially launched this week in Shanghai. According to local reports, it is China’s first industry-academia platform focused specifically on photonic computing research and development.

The facility is based at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and will bring together researchers and industry partners to develop photonic chips, optical components, computing architectures, and software systems needed to support the technology.

The launch comes as countries and technology companies race to secure enough computing power to train and run increasingly sophisticated AI models. As data centers consume more electricity, researchers are looking beyond traditional semiconductor designs for alternatives that can deliver higher performance with lower energy use.

Light over electrons

Unlike conventional chips that move data using electrons through silicon circuits, photonic chips rely on photons, or particles of light, to transmit and process information.

Because photons travel faster than electrons and generate significantly less heat, photonic systems could potentially offer major gains in speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. Researchers believe such systems may help overcome some of the physical limitations facing traditional semiconductor technologies.

Zou Weiwen, director of the new laboratory and a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, highlighted the technology’s potential, describing it as “an important pathway for achieving breakthroughs in computing power, offering advantages in bandwidth, latency, and energy efficiency.”

The new laboratory will focus on several areas, including photonic chip architectures, silicon-photonics integration, optical devices, supporting algorithms, and commercial applications.

China has increasingly identified photonic computing as a strategic technology as it seeks alternatives to advanced semiconductor technologies that remain difficult to access because of export restrictions and supply chain challenges.

Building local ecosystem

Shanghai authorities said they have supported research into photonic computing through multiple science and technology programs while also investing in innovation platforms and industrial development.

The push toward photonic computing comes as researchers worldwide explore alternatives to conventional chip designs that are approaching physical and thermal limits. Supporters of the technology argue that light-based processors could help reduce the massive energy consumption associated with AI data centers while enabling faster data movement across computing systems.

The laboratory is a joint initiative between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Lightelligence, a Shanghai-based startup specializing in photonic computing technologies.

Lightelligence has previously claimed to be the first company to achieve large-scale deployment of hybrid optical-electronic computing systems. The company has emerged as one of China’s leading players in the photonic computing sector.

Despite growing interest in the technology, significant technical hurdles remain before photonic computing can be deployed at scale.

Zou noted that one major challenge is the lack of a mature software and algorithm ecosystem capable of fully utilizing photonic hardware. Researchers must also address fundamental scientific and engineering problems before the technology can achieve its theoretical performance advantages.

Still, the launch of the new laboratory signals China’s intention to accelerate research into light-based computing as demand for high-performance computing and AI infrastructure continues to grow worldwide.

Global car giant BMW and German clean-energy firm Solarwatt have just unveiled a home energy solution that will turn the upcoming Neue Klasse electric vehicles (EVs) into household energy storage units.

The companies presented their joint offering ahead of The smarter E / Intersolar Europe 2026 trade fair, which will take place in Munich München from June 23-25. The new announcement followed the expansion of their partnership in smart energy and home charging solutions, which the firms revealed on May 18.

As part of the effort, BMW intends to integrate its Neue Klasse vehicles and the bidirectional Wallbox Professional DC home charging station into Solarwatt’s home energy management system (HEMS), also called the Solarwatt Manager.

Instead of functioning solely as cars, the Neue Klasse EVs will also serve as mobile energy storage units. They will provide electricity to households through Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology.

A smarter energy hub

The system is set to link photovoltaic panels, stationary home batteries, electric vehicles, and household appliances through the Solarwatt Manager platform. The software controls energy production and usage to determine where the available power should be directed.

BMW said the integrated system will coordinate all energy assets simultaneously. This will reportedly allow homeowners to maximize the usage of self-generated solar power and minimize reliance on grid energy.

The platform will also incorporate weather and solar forecasts to predict future energy production. During winter and other periods of reduced solar production, the system will take advantage of dynamic electricity tariffs by charging batteries and vehicles when electricity prices are low.

The stored energy could then be utilized later. “This not only increases the self-consumption of solar power but also significantly reduces the energy costs of the entire household – unlike Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), the electricity is used within the household and not fed back into the public grid,” BMW officials pointed out.

Power when needed

The system requires three essential components, including a Neue Klasse vehicle, BMW’s Wallbox Professional, and the Solarwatt Manager energy management system. Homeowners will be able to configure the settings via the My BMW App. They will have the option to optimize the household energy priorities through the Solarwatt Home app.

“In the Solarwatt Home app, customers can define household priorities – for example, for appliances and storage systems,” BMW representatives continued in a press release. “This ensures that energy is distributed intelligently, reduces the need for manual control, and makes the best possible use of solar power.”

Yet another advantage is that the system works with a wide range of third-party components. Existing solar panel systems and home batteries can be connected to the platform. This will enable homeowners to upgrade their current setups instead of simply replacing them from scratch.

“For many homeowners, the prospect of expanding an existing home battery storage system with an electric car is highly attractive,” Peter Bachmann, Solarwatt CEO, concluded in a statement. “This significantly increases the benefits of one’s own PV system, lowers electricity costs, and makes the home even less dependent on purchasing electricity from the grid.”

The two firms plan to launch the system in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands in late 2026. Customers will also be able to order the BMW Wallbox Professional directly through Solarwatt. The first deliveries are expected to start in the final quarter of the year.

A self-regulating artificial photosynthesis system makes solar fuel without batteries, offering a simpler and potentially cheaper path to clean energy storage. Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have created a new artificial photosynthesis system that can produce solar fuel more consistently while eliminating the need for battery-based control systems. The advance comes from incorporating a self-regulating [...]

China’s list of attractions could soon include the ‘Great Wall’ of solar panels after the Asian giant has turned the dunes of the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia into a 250-mile (400 km) strip of clean-energy infrastructure. Sitting among the panels is a city-sized image of a galloping horse, which is a Guinness World Record for the largest image ever made out of solar panels.

Even as the US struggles to decide on a clear policy to build clean energy infrastructure or burn more fossil fuels in the long run, China has taken an aggressive stance to secure its energy needs by building a mix of nuclear and renewable power plants. 

Interesting Engineering has previously reported how China is building nuclear energy facilities at scale and some of the biggest solar power plants in the world. 

Now, images from the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, captured over seven years apart, show how aggressively China has built a large array of solar panels that is not only visible from space but also plans to power the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region with 40 billion kiloWatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy by the end of this decade. 

100 GW solar power capacity

China’s ambitious plan is to build 100 gigawatts of solar energy capacity in the region through a 250-mile-long solar panel corridor that extends up to three miles wide. As of 2024, only 5.4 GW was considered completed, with 2 GW of power coming online through the Three Gorges Kubuqi base. 

While this might seem low, estimates suggest that 7 GW of installed capacity is expected to come online this year. The Three Gorges Kubuqi base alone is designed to deliver 16 GW of output, with a mix of solar and wind installations of 8 GW and 4 GW, respectively.

Interestingly, the remaining 4 GW of capacity comes from coal, which is expected to help keep the grid stable when renewable output is inconsistent.

One of the features of the completed installation so far is the Junma Solar Power Station, which features the galloping horse array. While this has earned the site a Guinness World Record, it does a bigger job of generating 2 billion kWh of energy a year. 

Not just for power

While the power generation from the upcoming facility will be massive, the panels are designed to do more than just that. Mounted higher than usual, these solar panels also serve as windbreaks and slow the wind blowing through these areas. The shade of the panels cuts evaporation and gives a chance for grass and crops to grow in the region. 

Satellite images have also confirmed greening of the region, where panels have been installed for a while. Science is still figuring out if such greening will also change rainfall patterns in the region, turning the desert into more than a grassland in the future. 

However, the main challenge for the project is sending all this generated energy to cities 800 miles (~1300 km) away. While this has been a bottleneck for grid operators in the US as well, the Chinese seem to be better at resolving it as transmission lines have already begun connecting the Inner Mongolia region with cities in the south and the east. 

Across the stories today, a common thread emerges around the gap between scientific urgency and practical action — from coral reefs that might survive climate change to political systems struggling to keep pace with environmental reality.

The day’s coverage points to growing momentum around citizen-led conservation, revealing how communities are stepping in where institutions fall short. In Britain, volunteers are using remote cameras to protect red squirrels while citizen scientists help restore bog insect populations through coordinated community efforts. Meanwhile, American homeowners are banding together in group buying programs, saving thousands of dollars on heat pumps while collectively advancing climate solutions one neighborhood at a time.

Yet this grassroots energy exists alongside troubling institutional retreats. The UK government appears ready to scale back electric vehicle targets after industry pushback, while critical monitoring systems for Atlantic ocean currents — which could collapse ten times faster than previously predicted — may lose funding just when we need them most. It’s a reminder that progress and pressure often arrive together, creating political tensions that can undermine long-term environmental goals.

The human cost of these delays becomes starkly visible in places like Delhi, where thermal imaging revealed that 43.5°C air temperatures translated into furnace-like conditions on urban surfaces, or in the Marshall Islands, where researchers race to identify “super reefs” that might survive rising ocean temperatures. Behind the numbers are real communities adapting in real time, from Thai rubber farmers navigating new EU deforestation rules to climate-displaced people facing growing barriers to safety as extreme weather events multiply.

Perhaps most striking is how wildlife serves as both victim and indicator of these broader pressures. Little terns face their most challenging breeding season yet due to dog disturbances, while a single black-headed gull spotted in Australia sends bird enthusiasts flying across the continent — a reminder of how rare the unexpected has become. Meanwhile, Mexican long-tongued bats continue their nightly dance through agave flowers, unknowingly keeping the tequila industry alive through pollination, even as global wildlife trade creates what scientists call “pandemic roulette” by moving billions of animals across unnatural boundaries.

The most promising thread runs through stories of restoration and discovery. A former banker is bringing back Australia’s lost Big Scrub rainforest, while Amazon deforestation drops to nearly decade-low levels, showing environmental progress is possible when political will aligns with practical action. Century-old Antarctic research voyages are revealing early clues to El Niño patterns, and scientists have identified hidden pollutants driving 15 percent of global warming — knowledge that could reshape climate policy.

Indigenous scholar Tyson Yunkaporta’s argument that “false narratives drive environmental destruction” feels particularly relevant amid today’s stories. From conservation groups rejecting shark culling calls in favor of drone technology to the controversy over displaying an African elephant at a political convention, the battle over environmental stories — which ones we tell, which ones we fund, which ones we act upon — shapes outcomes as much as any scientific discovery.

As the week unfolds, all eyes will be on whether these citizen-led conservation efforts can scale fast enough to compensate for institutional hesitation, and whether the gap between scientific understanding and political action will narrow or continue to widen in the face of accelerating environmental change.

The post Delhi Hits 43.5°C as Urban Heat Islands Intensify, Thames Microplastics Study Launched While Dog Disturbances Threaten Record Little Tern Breeding Season — Today’s Environmental Briefing for Mon, Jun 15 2026 first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

Scientists from Goethe University, Frankfurt, studying alternatives to black holes have suggested a mathematically viable formation mechanism for one proposed alternative called a ‘Gravastar.’

Although the team behind the newly proposed gravastar formation mechanism conceded that black holes still represent the simplest and most natural solution to gravitational collapse, they also suggest that the physics behind the alternative, which doesn’t require a single point where spacetime curves infinitely, called a “singularity,” can make them “easier to accept” than black holes.

If correct, and some or all black holes are, in fact, gravastars that mimic their expected properties, the work would establish a valid formation mechanism that could rewrite decades of accepted science and open a new field of research dedicated to understanding this previously misunderstood phenomenon.

Meet Gravastar: The Black Hole Mimicker without a Singularity

According to standard cosmology theories, black holes form when extremely massive stars stop generating energy, allowing the force of gravity to take over and collapse the remaining matter into a single point, or singularity. Unfortunately, the research team behind the new study notes that “the laws of physics break down” within the singularity, making the formation of the resulting black hole a difficult phenomenon to predict.

“How can spacetime be curved infinitely at that point, the singularity?” asks the team’s statement announcing the new approach. They also note that no information escapes a black hole, including light, making studying its inner workings effectively impossible, and opening up the possibility that “black holes are in fact entirely different objects.”

Some options have been proposed, including ‘horizonless’ black hole mimickers. The team notes that these proposed options are “mathematically consistent alternatives” that also address the physics challenges posed by traditional black holes. 

Still, how these alternative objects form has remained largely unclear. The research team said this lack of a formation mechanism constitutes “a significant open problem” since understanding how they form is the “first step” to determining if they truly exist.

New Model Creates a ‘Big Bang’ Inside a ‘Mini-Universe’

In the new formation model, theoretical physicists Daniel Jampolski and Theoretical Astrophysics Professor Luciano Rezzolla from Goethe University showed that the collapse of a dying star may not go far enough that it reaches the point of no return, where “the collapse to a black hole is inevitable.”

Instead, the collapse slows down near a point scientists call the Schwarzschild radius, then stops. The result is what the team termed a “miniature universe” within the collapsing matter, which they compared to the dynamics of the Big Bang, which most theorists agree formed the entire universe.

Since the universe’s expansion was driven by dark energy, the new model proposes that the dark energy within the mini-universe establishes an “equilibrium” with the counteracting force of gravity, therefore halting the collapse of the star “before a black hole can form.”

“The Big Bang of the emerging universe can unfold once the star has already collapsed almost to the point of becoming a black hole,” explained Jampolski, who discovered the black hole alternative gravastar solution in his master’s thesis while under the supervision of Professor Rezzolla.

Maintaining an Unbiased Approach Toward “What We Do Not Know”

When discussing the impact of their proposed black hole alternative formation model, Jampolski said that from a mathematical and physics standpoint, it is “easier to imagine that the Big Bang occurs only at a very late stage, when matter has already been compressed to an extreme degree, thereby giving rise to new effects.” The team also notes that the unresolved behavior of matter in this environment “leaves room for new physics.”

Although the team’s model offers a mathematically sound formation for an alternative to black holes, Rezzolla notes that the search for gravastars or other alternatives “should not suggest a skepticism towards black holes,” which, he adds, “still represent the most natural and simplest solution to the fate of gravitational collapse.”

Instead, the Goethe professor explained, his general role as a scientist and his specific discipline as a theoretical physicist make it essential that he and his colleagues “maintain an unbiased approach towards what we do not know and hence explore both the accepted wisdom and the more exotic interpretations.”

“History teaches us that it is not unusual for the latter to become the former,” the professor added.

The paper “Formation of gravastars” was published in the journal Physical Review D.

Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.

The United Kingdom appears ready to soften its ambitious electric vehicle transition goals following sustained pressure from automotive manufacturers and labor unions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly prepared to override Environment Secretary Ed Miliband’s stance on maintaining the current 2030 timeline for electric vehicle adoption.

The government is now planning to launch a public consultation on revised, less stringent targets for the shift to battery-powered vehicles throughout the remainder of this decade. This potential policy reversal comes after car manufacturers and union representatives raised serious concerns about the economic impact of the current mandates.

Industry leaders have argued that the existing 2030 targets could result in financial penalties for manufacturers who struggle to meet the aggressive sales quotas. They warn that such penalties could force companies to reduce operations or relocate production facilities, potentially leading to significant job losses across the automotive sector.

The debate highlights the ongoing tension between environmental policy goals and economic realities in the transition to cleaner transportation. While electric vehicle adoption has been steadily increasing, manufacturers contend that consumer demand and charging infrastructure development have not kept pace with government expectations. The automotive industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK, making job security a critical consideration in policy decisions.

This development represents a significant test for the government’s climate commitments, as transportation accounts for a substantial portion of the country’s carbon emissions. The final decision on whether to adjust these targets will likely influence the UK’s broader environmental strategy and its ability to meet international climate pledges.

The post UK Government Considers Scaling Back Electric Vehicle Sales Targets After Industry Pushback first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

Funded by European and American philanthropists, Tessa Khan uses the courts to impose Net Zero policies voters have rejected at the ballot box. Meet the lawfare entrepreneur waging war on North Sea energy.

The post Meet Tessa Khan, the Climate Activist-Litigator Waging War on the North Sea appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

A team of researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a more practical approach to artificial photosynthesis by creating a device that can regulate itself without relying on a battery-powered control system. By removing the need for this additional component, the design reduces both the cost and complexity of producing solar fuels.

Like the natural process used by plants, artificial photosynthesis harnesses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich compounds. In this system, the end product is formic acid, a chemical that can be stored and later used as a clean fuel or industrial feedstock.

The key element is the electrolyzer, which converts the electricity generated by solar cells into chemical energy, making it possible to capture and store solar power in the form of formic acid for future use.

Breakthrough reduces reliance on complex electronics

Maintaining efficient solar fuel production becomes challenging when sunlight intensity changes throughout the day. To address this, many artificial photosynthesis systems rely on a technique known as Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), which continuously adjusts voltage and current to ensure solar cells operate at their highest possible efficiency. 

However, conventional MPPT setups usually require batteries or extra electronic control hardware to smooth out fluctuations in energy flow. These additional components add both cost and engineering complexity, making large-scale deployment of artificial photosynthesis systems more difficult.

To deal with this challenge, a research team at Osaka Metropolitan University developed a simpler artificial photosynthesis system by building the control function directly into the electrolyzer. Led by Associate Professor Yasuo Matsubara and Professor Yutaka Amao, and working with Iida Group Holdings Co., Ltd, the researchers integrated a special solid electrolyte into the device.

Instead of depending on batteries and additional electronic controls to keep the solar cells running efficiently, the new electrolyzer can adjust itself automatically. It uses the properties of the solid electrolyte to regulate its electrical behavior, allowing it to perform the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) function without extra hardware.

Heat-responsive electrolyzer keeps solar fuel production running efficiently 

According to Professor Amao, the system automatically responds to changes in sunlight without the need for external controls. As solar intensity rises, the electrolyzer warms up, which lowers its electrical resistance and allows electricity to flow more easily. This built-in response enables the device to adjust its own electrical behavior and maintain efficient operation.

Amao added that the built-in self-regulating mechanism helps maintain more consistent fuel production throughout the day while reducing the need for batteries and other expensive external hardware. By automatically adjusting to changing conditions, the system also simplifies the overall design.

To demonstrate the concept, the researchers tested a prototype equipped with the new technology under real outdoor sunlight. The device was able to continuously convert water and carbon dioxide into formic acid, maintaining stable performance even as sunlight intensity changed.

The researchers further noted that the technology has already demonstrated its practical potential in a real-world setting. According to the team, the system generated enough formic acid to power a miniature diorama displayed at the pavilion, illustrating how an efficient artificial photosynthesis system could one day produce and store clean energy for use in household applications.

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Nylon is one of the world’s most widely used synthetic materials, but producing it still relies heavily on fossil fuels and energy-intensive industrial processes. Researchers now believe there could be a cleaner alternative. 

In a new study published in Nature, scientists describe a technique that converts lignin – a tough, woody component of plants that is often discarded or burned – into adipic acid, one of nylon’s key chemical building blocks. The approach combines refinery-inspired chemical processing with specially engineered microbes that carry out highly selective reactions. 

According to the researchers, the hybrid system delivers a significantly higher yield of adipic acid than previous lignin-based methods, potentially paving the way for a more sustainable and lower-carbon route to nylon production.

New value in a long-ignored industrial byproduct

Often treated as little more than industrial waste, lignin is the natural polymer that gives plants their strength and rigidity. It is one of the most abundant organic materials on the planet and is believed to be the largest underused component of biomass. Every year, millions of tons of lignin are generated as a byproduct of the paper and biofuel industries, with most of it simply burned as a low-value source of energy.

Yet lignin contains a wealth of carbon-rich aromatic structures that could be converted into valuable industrial chemicals. The challenge has been finding an efficient and cost-effective way to break it down into simple, high-value compounds at commercial scale. Researchers have long struggled because lignin-rich byproducts are typically complex, inconsistent mixtures that are difficult to process and refine.

Although lignin has long been seen as a promising renewable source of aromatic chemicals, its complex and highly variable structure has limited its industrial use. The researchers note that lignin often degrades during extraction, while most current processing methods produce complicated mixtures of chemical compounds rather than simple, high-value molecules suitable for large-scale manufacturing.

These limitations mean that current lignin conversion techniques usually achieve yields of only around 20% for any single product, making them commercially unattractive. They also tend to generate complex mixtures of phenolic compounds that are difficult to separate and refine. A more efficient way to convert lignin into adipic acid or other nylon precursors could help reduce both biomass waste and the carbon footprint associated with petroleum-based plastics.

Hybrid chemical and biological process could transform nylon manufacturing

The new approach could help transform low-value plant waste into a key ingredient for nylon production by combining established chemical processing with engineered bacteria. The process begins with poplar wood chips, from which lignin is extracted and broken down into an oil rich in aromatic compounds. 

This oil is then treated in a reactor that removes unwanted oxygen-containing groups, followed by another chemical step that converts it into water-soluble aromatic acids. Finally, engineered microbes complete the process by turning these intermediates into adipic acid.

The researchers then introduced an engineered bacterium, Pseudomonas putida, which converts most of the aromatic carboxylic acids in the mixture into muconolactone. This intermediate can then be chemically transformed into adipic acid, a key component in nylon production.

In experiments, the process achieved an adipic acid yield of about 26 wt% (grams of product per gram of lignin). However, the team estimates that with further optimization, yields could potentially reach up to 57 wt%. They also demonstrated that the method works across different wood sources, including poplar, pine, and birch, suggesting it could be applied broadly to various types of lignin feedstocks.

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