A European Medicines Agency panel said on Friday it recommended granting marketing approval to Sanofi and Regeneron’s experimental drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use gave a positive opinion on the drug, Kevzara, citing its ability to reduce the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Sarilumab, the active substance of Kevzara, a treatment for adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, works by blocking a protein called IL-6, which is associated with inflammation.
The panel’s opinion will now be reviewed by the EMA.
In October, U.S. regulators declined to approve sarilumab because of manufacturing deficiencies at a Sanofi plant in France.
Regeneron said in February that it was planning to resubmit a marketing application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sarilumab.
The drug has already been approved by Canadian health regulators to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
More than 23 million people worldwide suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Current treatments include the widely used methotrexate as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Other IL-6 inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis include Roche Holding AG’s approved Actemra and Johnson & Johnson’s experimental sirukumab.
Last Friday, the FDA declined to approve a new rheumatoid arthritis drug, Olumiant, made by Eli Lilly and Co and partner Incyte Corp.
It�s hard to overcome a bad reputation � even for food! But some edibles once deemed to be health hazards have been vindicated by the ever-evolving science of nutrition.
�With new research emerging on these topics, our recommendations change,� says Kelly Pritchett, national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
It happened with eggs. One of America�s most popular breakfast foods was branded a villain to heart health in the 1970s due to high levels of cholesterol. Now, experts are changing their tune. They�re even singing praise for the egg � yoke and all.
�The 2015 Dietary Guidelines gives the thumbs-up on having one egg per day,� says registered dietician Joy Dubost. �Eggs are an all-natural source of high quality protein and a number of other essential nutrients, all for 70 calories per large egg.�
In a 2013 study, participants who ate an egg breakfast were better able to control their food intake than those who a carbohydrate-heavy cereal breakfast. And don�t go the egg white-only route. The yolk is packed with three grams of protein as well as vitamins D and B12, riboflavin, folate, phosphorous, selenium and choline.
Here are seven other good foods with bad reps:
Whole milk: A 2015 review of 25 studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate full-fat dairy products were no more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes than those who stuck with the low-fat versions. Even more surprising, the full-fat crowd reported less weight gain and obesity. Experts recommend drinking only organic milk from grass-fed cows.
Coconut oil: A high saturated fat content tarnished the reputation of coconut oil, but research reveals that much of it is medium-chain triglycerides, which are healthy fats that boost both immunity and metabolism. A study published in the journal Lipids found that coconut oil reduced abdominal fat. It�s also one of the healthiest oils for cooking because it can withstand high heat without oxidizing better than vegetable oils.
Potatoes: The carb-heavy spud was kicked to the curb due to its high glycemic index, meaning it can spike blood sugar. But pairing potatoes with protein or healthy oils slows down digestion of them. Furthermore, potatoes are low-calorie, very filling and rich in several nutrients, including potassium, fiber and vitamin C. Eat the skin and you�ll also reap powerful antioxidants. Just don�t deep fat fry them or slather a baked tater with gobs of butter, sour cream and bacon bits.
Popcorn: All bets are off if you eat this movie theater munchie bathed in unhealthy oils � or cooked in a microwaveable bag lined with toxic chemicals. But air-popping organic popcorn will deliver a 100-calorie whole grain treat, per three-cup serving, that also delivers three grams of fiber and more healthy phytonutrients than most fruit.
Coffee: Once blamed for stunting growth and contributing to various maladies including heart disease and cancer, coffee is now being hailed as healthy for most folks. In fact, research published in the journal Circulation found that people who downed three to five cups a day were 15 percent less likely to die from any cause than non-coffee drinkers. Credit the anti-aging flavonoids for protecting cells from deterioration. Just don�t go dumping a lot of fattening sugars and creams into your java.
Avocados: It�s hard to believe that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only got around to declaring this superfood to be �healthy� in May 2016. The problem previously was its high fat content, but most of it is the healthy monounsaturated kind. Avocados are not only rich in nutrients but their fats also help you to absorb fat-soluble nutrients from other foods. So go ahead and order the guacamole, but nix the chips!
Beer: The sudsy stuff is a source of B vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and bone-building silicon. It�s also loaded with antioxidants. �Beer is not just empty calories,� declares Dubost. �In addition to the nutrients, large population studies consistently show that moderate alcohol consumption, including beer, reduces mortality.�
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is good for everyone — and may even help current and former smokers avoid chronic lung disease, a new investigation reveals.
Apples, pears, green leafy vegetables and peppers appear to offer protection against COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,, stated researchers led by Joanna Kaluza, of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland. And the more servings of fruits and vegetables consumed regularly, the greater the protection, Kaluza and her colleagues found.
The study can’t actually prove that diet prevents the debilitating lung disease. However, “we would argue that clinicians should consider the potential benefits of a healthy diet in promoting lung health, and advocate optimizing intake of fruits and vegetables, especially in smokers who are unable to stop smoking,” said the authors of an editorial accompanying the study. Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD. This term applies to a group of breathing conditions, including emphysema, caused by the narrowing of airway passages.
The new 13-year study involved 44,000 Swedish men between the ages of 45 and 79. Nearly two-thirds had smoked at some point. Roughly one-quarter still smoked, while nearly four in 10 said they had never smoked.
The men filled out food questionnaires and answered questions about smoking and other behaviors.
Over the study period, more than 1,900 new cases of COPD developed.
Analyzing the data, the study team determined that regardless of smoking history those who ate five or more servings of certain fruits and vegetables a day were 35 percent less likely to develop COPD than those who consumed just two servings daily.
Among former smokers, each additional serving was tied with a 4 percent lower risk of COPD. In current smokers, each extra serving was linked to an 8 percent lower risk, the study says. Researchers theorized that antioxidants found in some fruits and vegetables may play a role in reducing tissue stress and inflammation that is central to the onset of COPD.
That said, not all fruits and veggies were deemed protective. Bananas, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, garlic and peas did not appear to lower COPD risk.
Looked at in reverse, the team found that current and former smokers who consumed fewer than two portions of fruits and vegetables each day faced a greater risk for COPD respectively than those who had never smoked and ate five or more such portions daily.
SOURCE: Thorax, news release, Feb. 22, 2017
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Following a balanced nutrition as well as engaging in regular physical activity and sleeping properly are all proper lifestyle habits which can help increase and maintain overall health and wellness. Many common complications associated with improper lifestyle habits, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, however, the risk of developing these can be prevented with a few lifestyle changes. In addition, visiting a chiropractor and receiving chiropractic care can help maintain and improve the overall health of the spine as well as its surrounding structures.
Call your spine specialist in case you feel you may have developed sciatica. (Should you not already have a healthcare professional who specializes on spine health, you can ask a primary healthcare provider for recommendations).
You may have sciatica in the event that you’re experiencing symptoms,such as shooting pain down one or the two of your legs, or in case you have been experiencing weakness or tingling in your legs.
Through your medical visit, your physician or back specialist will ask you questions and perform some basic exams to try and identify the reason for your sciatica and create a treatment strategy for you�a method to control your pain as well as other symptoms also to help you recover. There are several spinal ailments which may lead to sciatic pain. Your treatment plan will be depending on the cause of your pain, so it’s vital that you get a precise diagnosis.
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What to Expect During Sciatica Evaluations
First, your back specialist will ask about your present symptoms and remedies you’ve got already attempted. He or she will even ask some typical questions, like:
When did the sciatic nerve pain start?
Where would you sense pain? Is it all the way down your leg? Is it in both? Does it halt at your knee?
On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable, rate your pain.
Are you really experiencing tingling or weakness in your legs and/or feet?
What actions did you recently do?
Does walking downhill or uphill increase pain?
What have you ever done with this sciatic nerve pain? Maybe you have attempted exercises or special drugs?
Does anything reduce the pain or allow it to be worse?
Neurological and physical examinations will be also performed by your healthcare professional.
In the physical examination, your doctor will find your position, range of motion, and physical state, noticing any movement that causes you pain. Your physician feel for muscle spasm, note alignment and its curvature, and will feel your back.
During the neurological examination, your back specialist will test your reflexes, muscle strength, and other nerve changes.
You will need to have some imaging tests, to diagnose the cause of your sciatica. You could have an x ray or a computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan. When it’s possible you might have a herniated disc or spinal stenosis that is causing your sciatica, your physician may order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation.
Together, all these various assessments and evaluations will give your doctor a more complete picture of your sciatic nerve pain. Using this information, he or she will most likely be able to make a diagnosis of the underlying cause of your sciatica.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Following a balanced nutrition as well as engaging in regular physical activity and sleeping properly are all proper lifestyle habits which can help increase and maintain overall health and wellness. Many common complications associated with improper lifestyle habits, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, however, the risk of developing these can be prevented with a few lifestyle changes. In addition, visiting a chiropractor and receiving chiropractic care can help maintain and improve the overall health of the spine as well as its surrounding structures.
Your tendency to indulge in chocolate, go heavy on salt, or eat veggies may be tied to certain gene variants, a new study suggests.
The study, of more than 800 adults, found links between several genes and people’s food likes and dislikes.
The gene variants were already known. One, for example, is linked to obesity risk; others are involved in hormone regulation.
It’s not yet clear what the new findings mean, the researchers said.
And they stressed that aversion to broccoli is not genetically determined: You might just need a better way of cooking it.
But the findings add to evidence that food preferences are partly related to genetic variation.
“Research is really beginning to look at the role of genes in food intake and nutrient use,” said Lauri Wright, a registered dietitian in Florida who was not involved in the study.
Some researchers believe that understanding the genetics behind food preferences will lead to more individualized diet advice. In fact, there’s a burgeoning field known as “nutrigenomics,” Wright noted.
For now, though, you are unlikely to have your DNA analyzed when you see a dietitian.
Nor do you need to, added Wright. She said dietitians already ask people about their food preferences — and a slew of other information — to help craft personalized diet plans.
Wright is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and director of the doctorate in clinical nutrition program at the University of North Florida.
Past studies have found correlations between gene variations and people’s tastes for certain foods.
For the most part, they have looked at genes related to taste receptors, said Silvia Berciano, who led the current study.
Berciano said her team focused on certain genes that have been connected to behavioral and psychological traits (such as depression or addiction), to see if any are also related to eating habits.
To do that, the researchers analyzed variations in those genes, along with self-reported diet habits, among 818 white U.S. adults.
In general, the study found, there were associations between several genes and food preferences. Variations in a gene called FTO, which is related to obesity, were tied to vegetable and fiber consumption, for instance.
It’s possible that the FTO gene influences both obesity risk and people’s desire for veggies, said Berciano, a researcher at Tufts University in Boston.
Could the link exist simply because people prone to obesity are less likely to be vegetable lovers? Berciano said that’s unlikely: The FTO variation tied to vegetable/fiber intake is in a different place on the gene than the variant related to obesity.
In other findings, a gene called SLC6A2, which helps regulate hormones like norepinephrine, was related to fat intake.
Meanwhile, variations in a gene that helps regulate oxytocin — the so-called “love hormone” involved in bonding, mood and other behaviors — were related to chocolate intake, as well as heavier weight.
Oxytocin “enhances the brain’s reward system,” Berciano noted. On the other hand, she said, lower oxytocin levels could boost chocolate cravings as a way to get that same reward.
Berciano was scheduled to present the findings Sunday at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, in Chicago. The results should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
The study does not prove that any of those gene variants directly affect people’s food preferences, Wright pointed out.
And even if they have an influence, she said, diet habits are much more than a matter of genes. Economics, culture and a range of environmental factors are at play, she added.
And, with help, people can change even long-standing diet habits. “We don’t want people to think, ‘I can’t help bingeing on chocolate, it’s in my genes,’ ” Wright said.
Still, Berciano said an understanding of the genetics behind food preferences could eventually prove useful in the real world.
“Understanding how genetic differences affect neural regulation of eating behavior means that we’ll be able to predict the behavioral tendencies of the individual,” she said.
That, she added, could help in creating diet plans that are “easier for the individual to adhere to.”
For now, though, Wright said she is unsure how expensive genetic testing would enhance what dietitians already do. “We already look at the individual — not just their food preferences, but their other lifestyle habits and their economic and social situations,” she said.
That bigger context, Wright said, is critical in helping people make lasting diet changes.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at stretches for neck pain.
Your neck is one of the hardest working parts of your body.�It is serves us well as a source of strength and balance. When it�s out of whack, your neck can be a source of unending distress. �Let�s face it�today�s use of technology has our necks being put to use in ways it was never intended. �Did you know that looking down at your phone can sometimes exert as much pressure as the equivalent of a 40lb weight?
Unfortunately for the vast majority of people, neck pain will affect them at some point in their lives. Women are more prone to neck pain but men definitely have their fair share as well.
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One Of The Reasons Our Necks Pay A Price… We Sit A Lot
Whether it is at home in front of the TV or electronics or at work in front of the computer, our necks get a work out! Distresses on the neck are felt in many ways, including but not limited to: low back pain, severe headache, migraines, or even facial aching and tenderness.
What are some of the gentle ways you can give your neck a break? Good question, we are glad you asked! Thankfully, stretching our neck muscles regularly is easy to do and it can help relieve and prevent neck pain.
UTEP Director of Athletics Bob Stull announced on Monday that Kevin Baker has been appointed as the eighth head coach in UTEP women�s basketball history.
�We are very pleased to introduce Kevin Baker as our head women�s basketball coach,� Stull said.� �We had tremendous interest nationally for this position, and it was really difficult going through the process of narrowing it down to the type of person that we wanted to lead this program.� In the end, no one could match the level of success that he has achieved, winning over 300 games and setting school records for victories at every stage of his coaching career.� He is a personable and energetic young man and a great fit for UTEP and the El Paso community.�
�I�d like to thank Dr. Diana Natalicio and Bob Stull for giving me the opportunity to lead the UTEP women�s basketball program,� Baker said.� �I am truly honored to take the reins of a program that has enjoyed so much success.� Coach Adams had an amazing run here for 16 years.� She really put UTEP women�s basketball on the map, and my goal is to build on what she has already accomplished.�
Baker comes to El Paso from Angelo State University, where he posted a combined record of 50-14 in two seasons (2015-17).� Baker was also the head coach at the University of Texas Tyler from 2012-15, fashioning a 72-16 mark.� His combined college coaching record is 122-30.
Overall Baker is 344-131 in a coaching career that has also taken him to four high schools in the state of Texas � Commerce (1997-98), Palestine (1998-2000), Nacogdoches (2000-03) and Copperas Cove (2004-07).� He has set school records for wins at every stop of his career, and has taken every school to the playoffs with a total of five district championships.� He is an eight-time Coach of the Year.
More recently, Baker�s teams captured back-to-back conference championships at UT-Tyler and Angelo State.� He led Angelo State to a 26-6 mark in 2016-17, including the school�s first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and a runner-up finish in the NCAA South Central Regional.
Baker has led both a Division II (Angelo State) and Division III (UT-Tyler) school to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
His 2016-17 Angelo State squad was ranked as high as second in the nation, earning him Conference Coach of the Year honors for the fourth consecutive season.� The Rambelles were 24-8 in 2015-16, reaching the NCAA Regional semifinals.
He compiled marks of 18-9 (2012-13), 27-4 (2013-14) and 27-3 (2014-15) in three seasons at UT-Tyler.� The Patriots won the American Southwest Conference title in 2014 and 2015, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2014.� He was ASC Coach of the Year all three seasons.
Baker spent the previous five years (2007-12) as an assistant coach at Division II West Texas A&M University, where he was part of a run to 120 victories including a 30-4 campaign in 2009-10.� The Lady Buffs were a top-10 team nationally all five seasons, were ranked fourth in 2007-08, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on four occasions.
West Texas A&M won back-to-back-to-back Lone Star Conference titles (2008-10) and made an Elite Eight appearance in 2009.� West Texas A&M also posted the no. 5 team GPA in the country in 2007-08.
In 10 seasons as a high school head coach, Baker put together three seasons with 29 or more wins.� He was a combined 222-101 in the prep ranks.� Highlights included a 29-4 mark at Palestine High School (4A) in 1999-2000, a school-record for victories, and District, Bi-District and Area championships.
His 2002-03 Nacogdoches team was 30-4, a school-record for wins, with District and Bi-District titles.� His final high school team, at Copperas Cove (2006-07), was 32-3 with Area and Bi-District championships and a Regional Semifinal berth.
Baker received his Bachelor of Science degree (Kinesiology) and Masters of Education from Stephen F. Austin in 1994 and 1996, respectively.� He began his coaching career as an assistant girls basketball coach at Hudson High School in his hometown of Lufkin, Texas in 1994.
A new UK study has highlighted the importance of friendships in helping people get through the more stressful periods of life.
Carried out by Dr Rebecca Graber from the University of Brighton during her time at the University of Leeds, the preliminary study is the first to provide long-term statistical evidence on the huge benefit of friends, and in particular best friends, on coping with and developing resilience to stress.
The study included 185 adults, with 75 completing the study’s questionnaires and assessments on psychological resilience, best friendship quality, coping behaviors and self-esteem.
Participants then completed the same assessments again one year later, to see how the quality of best friend relationships had affected resilience to stress during this period.
The results showed that best friendships had a protective effect against stress, helping to develop psychological resilience in adults, although how still remains unclear.
The findings also support research published last year by Dr Graber, which found that best friendships can help develop resilience to stress in socioeconomically vulnerable children.
Need an energy boost during the afternoon at the office? A jolt of caffeine isn’t as effective as walking up and down some stairs, says a new study from the University of Georgia.
The study, which was published in the journal Physiology and Behavior found that walking up and down stairs for 10 minutes gave volunteers more energy than ingesting 50 milligrams of caffeine — about the amount in a can of soda.
When giving volunteers either caffeine or a placebo, “there was not much change in how they felt,” said Patrick J. O’Connor, a professor in the department of kinesiology. “But with exercise they did feel more energetic and vigorous.”
The study wanted to duplicate the problems office workers, who spend hours staring at a computer screen, faced when trying to boost their energy to avoid mid-afternoon slumps when long bouts of exercise weren’t possible.
For the study, women college students on separate days either ingested capsules containing caffeine or a placebo, or spent 10 minutes walking up and down stairs — about 30 floors total — at a low-intensity pace.
“Office workers can go outside and walk, but weather can be less than ideal. It has never rained on me while walking the stairs,” said O’Connor. “And a lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.”
To test the effects of caffeine versus the exercise, each group took some verbal and computer-based tests to gauge how they felt and how well they performed certain cognitive tasks.
While neither caffeine nor exercise caused large improvements in attention or memory, walking up and down stairs was associated with a small increase in motivation for work.
The study found that even a brief amount of time walking up and down stairs can boost energy without reducing cognitive function. “You may not have time to go for a swim, but you might have 10 minutes to walk up and down the stairs,” O’Connor said.
Another way to boost your energy in the afternoon is to eat dark chocolate.
Volunteers at the University of Northern Arizona University ate dark chocolate containing at least 60 percent cacao beans or a placebo product, then did thinking and memory activities while undergoing EKGs of their brains. Those who ate the chocolate were more alert.
“A lot of us in the afternoon get a little fuzzy and can’t pay attention, so we could have a higher cacao content chocolate bar and it would increase attention,” said Larry Stevens, a professor of psychological sciences at NAU. “Chocolate is indeed a stimulant and it activates the brain in a really special way.”
If you have a child who plays sports, then you share my excitement for them when they play the game. You probably also share my apprehension about injuries. I recently witnessed one of my daughter�s teammates tear her ACL in a volleyball match�in a non-contact play. The same thing happened to my son and it was heart wrenching. In fact, this caused me to look at the latest research for ways to prevent this from happening to my child and to other children in our community. It is more important than ever before to have parents understand the importance of injury awareness. �This has never been more true today as we become a highly competitive�community.
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The Research Is Revealing
My son and daughter�s teammate are not alone. There are nearly 150,000 ACL injuries in the U.S. each year (American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine). 70% of those are non-contact injuries involving landing or cutting. Females are 2-8 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than males. Worse still: 1 in 4 go on to have another knee injury later.
One study (American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014) looked at re-injury rates in 750 people after 5 years and found that of the 561 people who finished the study, 4.5% had their graft repairs tear and 7.5% tore the ACL in the other knee. What I found most disturbing is that the highest incidence of further injury occurred in the people who had their first surgery before 20 years of age!
I looked at several studies going back 15 years. They all conclude about the same things when it comes to injury prevention: a program of education, strength, flexibility, sport specific agility drills and plyometrics [aka: jump training] help to prevent injuries.
You might well ask: If we know that is the case, then why haven�t we taken the recommended actions to reduce the number of injuries �the rate of which are basically unchanged in the past 10 years? There are a number of reasons, and perhaps one of them is because we parents assume this is part of the coach�s job.
Truth be told, though, we really expect coaches to focus on technical training �that will help our children gain proficiency and expertise. Sure, they want to reduce injuries, too, but they can�t do it all and most don�t have degrees in injury prevention. So, if the coach can�t do it, who can? Well, if you are lucky enough to have a certified athletic trainer at your school, that helps. But for me, the �aha!� from the research is that injury prevention falls first and foremost on my shoulders as a parent.
What a Parent Can Do �And Should Not Try Do
A�childs athlete�s best training tool is BODY AWARENESS. Learning how to decelerate and land from a jump are just some of the important skills to learn that can help with performance and safety”.
The research backs this up.
There are various screening tools to assess an athlete�s ability to hop from a box, jump and land. Athletes who have poor control or have asymmetries right to left were correlated with greater injury risk. (Chorbe et al N AmJ Sorts Phys Ther 2010; Padue et al AJSM 2009).
The�PUSHasRx’s�and other local pre-season programs are progressive student education programs�starting with teaching body control in static positions, progressing to linear jumping drills and plyometrics. Then, the young athletes are taught to apply the learned techniques to deceleration activities in their sport, while all along maximizing strength and joint range of motion. This type of program needs to be ongoing to be effective (Padue et al AJSM 2012) and typically works best if done 2-3 times per week pre- season and 1 time per week in season.
Mind and Body Make the Winning Combination
So why can�t we just give our children a packet of drills to do on their own or take them to the gym ourselves? After all, I was a pretty good athlete in my day� Well, one reason is psychological. They need to understand the serious purpose of the activities and be 100% committed to what they are learning and doing. One way to do that is to work with a professional. �Sometimes kids need to hear it from someone not in a parent position to understand. �We just will have to do what it takes to get our kids to understand.
The second reason is about what is known as �motor memory�. Form is everything and it takes a trained eye to recognize and teach form, such as good landing mechanics and deceleration skills so that they become a part of motor memory. The bottom line is: If your child practices good jump-landing techniques s/he may have better form and motor memory to handle knee joint loading forces (Meyer et al. Am J Sports Med 2013).
As we head into summer�sports, let�s give our kids the best opportunity for an injury free season. I urge you to do what I�m doing: seek out a body awareness/training professional who can teach them to stay in the game they love!
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