Bassel Daher, Ph.D.

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Invited Talks

115+ invited presentations across 30+ countries (2012–present)
including keynote talks, UN panels, a TEDx Talk, and major global forums such as the IWRA World Water Congress, FAO Science and Innovation Forum, MIT Energy Conference, and COP18.

Multimedia

"Food doesn't grow at supermarkets!" - Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, Berlin, Germany 2023

How will you Choose to Contribute? | Bassel Daher | TEDxTAMU

Texas A&M Energy Institute Lecture Series: Dr. Bassel Daher - "COnvergence REsearch Incubator"

Nexus Seminar Series N.80 by Dr. Daher

Day 1: The Water-Energy-Food Ecosystems Nexus: From Research to Practice

Governance and Financing Considerations for Operationalizing WEFE Nexus Solutions

CHE 2025 Doha – Dr. Bassel Daher on Integrating Energy, Food & Health for a Sustainable Future

Cassandra Conference 2026 - Advances in the sociopolitical awareness of science and technology

ICID Webinar on Catalysing SDGS through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Building Nexus Resilience: Intro to Migration & Water-Energy-Food (WEF) System Interconnections

Building Nexus Resilience: Integrating Migration Models and WEF Nexus Assessments

Building Nexus Resilience: Governance Considerations and Evidence-Based Policy Making

Building Nexus Resilience: Addressing Migration and Conflicts in Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Systems

Zero Hunger Pathways Project Dialogue 4: Taking Innovations to Scale

Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus Masterclass, Cairo, Egypt 2023

The Role of the SDGs & WASH Initiatives in a Water Scarce World

IWRA General Assembly 2024

Lessons Learned from Stakeholder Engagement in San Antonio, Texas

Global Footprint

List of Talks

  1. The City of San Antonio. Co-Organizer and Moderator. Annual Sustainability Symposium. San Antonio, TX, USA.
  2. Casandra Conference. Webinar Panelist: "Advances in the Sociopolitical Awareness of Science and Technology." Barcelona, Spain.
  3. International Water Management Institute. Webinar Panelist: "Governance and Financing Considerations for Operationalizing WEFE Nexus Solutions." Pakistan.
  4. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. Invited Webinar Speaker: "Toward Evidence- Based Community-Engaged Water-Energy-Food System Transformation." Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
  1. XIX IWRA World Water Congress. Invited Speaker, Moderator, and Organizer: 10+ Sessions on WEFE Nexus, Surface Water Management, Sustainability Network Building, and Youth Engagement. Marrakech, Morocco.
  2. Texas Energy Summit. Session Organizer and Moderator: "A Systems Approach for Energy, Water, and Food Security in Texas." Texas State Capitol, Austin, TX, USA.
  3. Jobs for the Future (JFF). Invited Speaker: "The Evolving Role of Higher Education in the AI Economy." AI and the Future of Work: Building Pathways to Early-Career Opportunity. Chicago, IL, USA.
  4. CIHEAM Bari. Session Co-Organizer and Moderator: "Catalyzing Science and Innovation for Sustainable and Safe Food Systems." Mediterranean Innovation Week. Bari, Italy.
  5. Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. Invited Speaker: "Health and the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water: Global and Regional Insights." Exploring the Nexus of Climate, Health, and Environment Conference. Doha, Qatar.
  6. FAO Science and Innovation Forum 2025. Session Co-Organizer, Moderator, and Invited Speaker: "Science & Innovation Driving Food Safety – From Vision to Network." Rome, Italy.
  7. IEEE International Smart Cities Conference. Invited Speaker: "Toward Community-Engaged Sustainable Development Goals Localization in San Antonio, TX." Petras, Greece.
  8. Global Harmonization Initiative, 2nd GHI World Congress. Invited Speaker: "A Systems Approach to Resilience in Fragile Agrifood Systems." Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  9. SURE NEXUS, PRIMA. Keynote Speaker: "WEFE Nexus in Egypt and the MENA Region." Cairo, Egypt.
  10. MENAT Summit 2025 Regenerative Agriculture. Panelist: "Scaling Impact: Innovations and Frameworks Transforming Food Systems." Abu Dhabi, UAE.
  11. International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Invited Speaker: "Global Goals, Local Action: Advancing Community-Engaged, Evidence-Based Water-Energy-Food Systems Transformation." Webinar on Catalysing SDGs through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. (online).
  12. United Nations University, Dresden Nexus Conference. Organizer and Panelist: "Special Session on Water-Energy-Food-Migration Nexus." Dresden, Germany.
  13. United Nations University, Dresden Nexus Conference. Panelist: "Advancing a Curriculum of the Resource Nexus." Dresden, Germany.
  14. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Invited Speaker: "Toward Evidence-Based Community- Engaged Water-Energy-Food System Transformation." Worcester, MA, USA.
  15. FAO. Moderator and Invited Speaker: "Progress Summary and Next Steps." Co-Creation Workshop to Establish the Regional Food Safety Research Network and Innovation Hub. Cairo, Egypt.
  16. BONEX, PRIMA. Keynote Speaker: "Challenges and Opportunities for WEFE Nexus Solutions."
  17. WEFE Nexus International Conference. Rabat, Morocco.
  18. Texas A&M University. Panelist: "Meeting Future Challenges in FEWH for Texas and Beyond." Symposium on the Food, Energy, Water and Health (FEWH) Nexus as a Catalyst for Sustainability in Texas and Beyond. College Station, TX, USA.
  19. The City of San Antonio. Co-Organizer and Moderator. Sustainability Symposium. San Antonio, TX, USA.
  20. NEXUS STARTUP. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus: An Introduction." NEXUStartups Plan & Pitch Challenge.
  1. Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. Invited Speaker: "A Systems Approach to Addressing Water-Energy-Food Nexus Security in Arab Countries." Sustainability and National Security Conference. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  2. World Bank, Stockholm Environment Institute, Texas A&M Energy Institute. Event Co-Organizer and Panelist: "The Role of Evidence-Based Stakeholder-Engaged Water-Energy-Food System Transformation." Evidence-Based Decision Making in the Water-Energy Nexus Event. Washington, D.C., USA.
  3. United Nations University and TU Dresden. Invited Speaker: "Toward Evidence-Based Community- Engaged Water-Energy-Food Systems Transformation." Nexus Seminar. (online).
  4. Houston Methodist, DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center. Panelist: "Food for Thought: Nourishing CV Health Amidst the Exposome." The Exposome and Cardiovascular Health Webcast. (online).
  5. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2024. Poster Session Organizer: "Enhancing Water Allocation Outcomes: Cross-Sectoral Modeling of Water, Energy, and Food for Improved Policy Coherence." Washington, D.C., USA.
  6. Arab Sustainable Development Week. Panelist: "Mapping Affordable and Transferrable Climate- Smart Technologies for Smallholder Farmers." Cairo, Egypt.
  7. NOVA University Lisbon. Keynote Speaker: "Toward Evidence-Based Community-Engaged Water- Energy-Food Systems Transformation." Water-Energy-Food Nexus at Local Level Conference. Lisbon, Portugal.
  8. Online Dresden Nexus Conference. Invited Speaker: "The Role of Analytics and Community Engagement in Supporting Sustainable and Equitable Water-Energy-Food Systems Transformation." (online).
  9. City of San Antonio. Workshop Organizer and Moderator: "Localizing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for District 3 & City of San Antonio." San Antonio, TX, USA.
  10. Jordan Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST). Keynote Speaker: "Harnessing AI and IoT for Enhanced WEFE Nexus Security: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions." Amman, Jordan.
  11. FAO. Invited Speaker: Launch of "Mapping Affordable and Transferable Climate-Smart Technologies for Smallholder Farmers." Cairo, Egypt.
  12. Texas A&M University. Moderator: "Sustainable Energy for All: Accelerating the Transition to a Low- Carbon Future." Texas A&M Energy Conference. College Station, TX, USA.
  13. Jordan University and Hashemite University. Invited Speaker: "Contextualizing Nexus Challenges in Jordan." Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus Workshop. Amman, Jordan.
  14. Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). Invited Speaker: "Community-Engaged and Evidence- Based Energy Transition." Bridging Continents for Sustainable Solutions Workshop. Athens, Greece.
  15. Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC). Panelist: "The Role of Analytics and Community Engagement in Supporting Sustainable and Equitable Water-Energy-Food Systems Transformation." Strengthening Partnership: A Virtual Series on the Energy Transition in Texas and South Africa. (online).
  16. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Invited Speaker: "Understanding Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots: Multi-Faceted Assessments with Localized Solutions." (online).
  17. MIT Energy Conference 2024. Panelist: "The Energy-Water-Food Nexus: Wastewater Circularity in Support of Transitioning Energy and Food Systems." Boston, MA, USA.
  18. Penn State University. Invited Speaker: "Understanding Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots: Multi- Faceted Assessments with Localized Solutions." (online).
  19. Jordan University, GIZ. Moderator and Invited Speaker. 3rd NEXUS Conference: Green to Grow in Water, Energy, Food, Environment, and Solid Waste. Amman, Jordan.
  20. Texas A&M Disaster PRIMR 2024. Invited Speaker: "A Systems Approach for Disaster Risk Reduction: Exploring the Nexus of Energy, Food, and Human Mobility in the Northern Countries of Central America." College Station, TX, USA.
  21. Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport. Invited Speaker: "The Role of Analytics and Community Engagement in Supporting Sustainable and Equitable Water-Energy-Food Systems Transformation." Towards Egypt's Energy Vision 2030. Alexandria, Egypt.
  22. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Case Studies and Lessons Learned." (online).
  23. City of San Antonio–District 3 Sustainability Symposium. Invited Speaker: "Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals." San Antonio, TX, USA.
  24. Women in STEM Event, College Station High School. Invited Speaker: "Careers in Sustainability." College Station, TX, USA.
  1. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Invited Speaker: "Water Systems: At the Nexus of Human and Planetary Health." Workshop on Exploring Research Opportunities at the Intersection of Planetary and Cardiovascular Health. (online).
  2. Coca-Cola Annual Stakeholder Forum. Invited Speaker: "Water Regeneration – Partnering to Strengthen Communities' Resilience and Drive Economic Growth." (online).
  3. MENA WEF Nexus Master Class, Hashemite University. Invited Speaker: "Overview of WEF Nexus Trends and Challenges in the MENA Region." Jordan (online).
  4. UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Presenter and Moderator: "A Systems Approach for Disaster Risk Reduction: Exploring the Nexus of Energy, Food, and Human Mobility in the Northern Countries of Central America." Regional Multi-Stakeholder Meeting. Panama (online).
  5. IWRA World Water Congress 2023. Moderator and Panelist: High Level Panel on "Water-Economy- Ecology Nexus Under Changing Environment"; Side Sessions on "Governing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus" and "Soil for Society Network." Beijing, China.
  6. GIZ, Arab Water Council. Panelist: "Understanding Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots: Lessons Learned from Global Case Studies." Water-Energy-Food Nexus Training Course. Cairo, Egypt (online).
  7. Texas A&M Energy Conference. Plenary Session Moderator: "Smart Technologies and Energy Efficiency: Leveraging Digitalization to Optimize Resource Utilization." Texas, USA.
  8. International Water Management Institute and UN ESCWA. Moderator. Two-Day Regional Dialogue on Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Building Resilience in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Agrifood Systems. Beirut, Lebanon.
  9. Egyptian Knowledge Bank, PRIMA Program, Knowledge E. Co-Organizer and Instructor: Masterclass in Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems in the South Mediterranean. Cairo, Egypt.
  10. Penn State University, Makerere University. Co-Instructor: Collaborative Learning School, SustainFood Program: Building a US-Africa Network of Networks toward Sustainable Food Systems. Kampala, Uganda.
  11. The LEE Experience, Berytech. Co-Instructor: WEF Nexuspreneur Bootcamp. Beirut, Lebanon.
  12. MIT Energy Conference. Panelist: "Zeroing in on Health at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water." Boston, MA, USA.
  13. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Case Studies and Lessons Learned." (online).
  14. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA). Panelist: "How Does Effective Governance Accelerate SDGs Implementation for More Sustainable and Resilient Cities?" (online).
  15. Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). Invited Speaker: "Food Does Not Grow at Supermarkets!" Berlin, Germany.
  1. UN FAO Science and Innovation Forum. Panelist: "A Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach for Evaluating the Sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet: The Case of Lebanon."
  2. World Resources Institute. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Catalyzing Cross-Sectoral Trade-Offs Dialogue."
  3. Penn State University. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus Tool 2.0: Catalyzing Cross- Sectoral Trade-Offs Dialogue." Colombia–USA Water-Energy-Food Nexus Alliance Workshop.
  4. Montana State University. Invited Speaker: "Lessons Learned: Adopting a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach in San Antonio, Texas." Water in the West: Towards Convergent Solutions for Water Security Workshop.
  5. University of Idaho. Invited Speaker: "Lessons Learned from Stakeholder Engagement in San Antonio, Texas." Engage INFEWS: Lessons Learned Lightning Talks.
  6. Penn State University. Invited Speaker: "Localized Solutions for Global Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots." The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Course, Ecosystem Science & Management.
  7. University College London. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus Analytics." Future Resource Pathways and Visions Course, MSc in Sustainable Resources: Economics, Policy and Transitions.
  8. Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA). Keynote Speaker: "The Nexus Approach Applied to Water, Energy, and Food Security in the MENA Region." Water, Energy, Food Nexus Innovation Week: Paving the Way towards Entrepreneurship.
  1. Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) & GIZ. Panelist: "Nexus Modeling: From Ideas to Policy Makers." WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean: From Research to Practice.
  2. United Nations Food Systems Summit and Zero Hunger Pathways Project Dialogue Series. Session Organizer and Moderator: "Trade-Offs Evaluation and Science-Policy Communication."
  3. International Conference for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Session Organizer and Moderator: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus Research Impact and Stakeholder Engagement."
  4. Annual American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers Conference. Session Organizer and Moderator: "Bridging Social and Physical Sciences to Achieve Water, Energy, and Food Sustainable Development Goals."
  5. Annual American Chemical Society Fall Meeting. Session Organizer and Moderator: "Toward Creating a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Community of Practice."
  6. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Invited Speaker: "Understanding Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots: Multi-Faceted Assessments with Localized Solutions." Environmental Policy Class. (online).
  7. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) and Stockholm Environment Institute. Panelist: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach for Evaluating the Sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet: The Case of Lebanon." Webinar Series. (online).
  8. Sixth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. Panelist: "Health Systems in the Era of Climate Change and Planetary Health."
  9. Turk Tractor Annual Meeting. Keynote Speaker: "Introduction to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus."
  1. IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. Panelist: "Understanding Water-Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots." Webinar on Sustainable Smart Cities. (online).
  2. European Union–Gulf Cooperation Council. Panelist: "Governance of WEF Nexus Hotspots: The Role of Socio-Technical Analytics." Webinar Series on Water-Food-Energy Nexus Concept as a Tool for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. (online).
  3. International Conference for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Session Organizer and Moderator: "Socio-Technical Solutions for Water-Energy-Food Security Challenges."
  4. Water Innovation Lab-Global, Waterlution. Invited Speaker and Session Coordinator: Multiple sessions on Water-Energy-Food Nexus themes. Canada (online).
  5. Water Innovation Lab-Lebanon, Waterlution. Invited Speaker and Session Coordinator: Multiple sessions on systems thinking, WEF Nexus, and Sustainable Development Goals. Lebanon (online).
  6. Energy Institute Lecture Series, Texas A&M University. Invited Speaker: "Convergence Research and the Convergence Research Incubator." (online).
  7. American Society for Civil Engineers, Houston Chapter. Invited Speaker: "Understanding Water- Energy-Food Nexus Hotspots: Holistic Multi-Faceted Assessments with Localized Solutions." Houston, TX, USA.
  1. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Oral Presenter: "Towards Creating an Environment of Cooperation between Water-Energy-Food Stakeholders in San Antonio." San Francisco, CA, USA.
  2. University of Texas at Austin. Invited Speaker: "The Role of Analytics in Catalyzing a Multi- Stakeholder Dialogue around Resource Challenges." INFEWS–NRT Seminar Series. Austin, TX, USA.
  3. Water Innovation Lab, Waterlution. Invited Speaker: "Systems Thinking and the Sustainable Development Goals." Calgary, Canada.
  4. International Conference for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Columbia University. Session Organizer, Moderator, and Presenter: "Good Practices at the Nexus of Water, Energy, and Agriculture"; "Stakeholder and Community Engagement for Sustainable Urban Change." New York, NY, USA.
  5. Texas A&M School of Law. Invited Speaker: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus, Sustainable Development, and International Law." Fort Worth, TX, USA.
  6. Penn State University. Invited Speaker: Sessions on Addressing Resource Hotspots, Building Interdisciplinary Teams, and Stakeholder Engagement. Food-Energy-Water Nexus Seminar Series. Pennsylvania, USA.
  1. Texas A&M University and American University of Beirut. Co-Organizer, Co-Moderator, and Presenter: "Opportunities of Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach: Innovatively Driving Economic Development, Social Wellbeing, and Environmental Sustainability." Webinar on the Water, Energy, Food Nexus. San Antonio, TX, USA.
  2. Energy, Law, and Policy Workshop, Texas A&M University. Presenter: "Governance of the Energy, Water, Food Nexus: Evidence from San Antonio Region." College Station, TX, USA.
  3. International Conference for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Columbia University. Presenter: "Towards Understanding the Level of Communication between Water-Energy-Food Government Organizations in San Antonio." New York, NY, USA.
  4. University of North Carolina Nexus Conference. Panelist: "Nexus Partnerships: Sharing Experiences and Lessons Learned." North Carolina, USA.
  5. TEDx, Texas A&M University. TEDx Speaker: "How Will You Choose to Contribute?" College Station, TX, USA.
  6. 8th World Water Forum. Panelist, Moderator, and Rapporteur: High Level Panel on "Water-Related SDGs in Crises Prone Regions: Turning Reconstruction into Sustainable Development"; Regional Session on "Sustainability Challenges Need Integrated Solutions: Is Water, Energy, Food the Answer?"; Regional Session on "Will the Future Wastewater Treatment Plant be Water and Energy Suppliers to the Arab Region." Brasília, Brazil.
  1. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Oral Presenter: "Modeling Resource Hotspots: Critical Linkages & Processes." Session on Achieving Water-Energy-Food Nexus Sustainability: A Science and Data Need or a Need for Integrated Public Policy? New Orleans, LA, USA.
  2. International Conference for Sustainable Development, Columbia University. Oral Presenter: "The Role of WEF Nexus in Implementing Sustainable Development Goals in Morocco." New York, NY, USA.
  3. World Water Congress. Oral Presenter: "Understanding the Science-Policy Gap: Proposing a Formal Delegation Principal–Agent Model"; "A Guideline for Modeling WEF Nexus Hotspots." Cancún, Mexico.
  4. Dresden Nexus Conference. Oral Presenter: "Modeling the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A 7-Question Guideline." Dresden, Germany.
  1. Barclays Annual Energy Conference. Panelist: "Understanding the Interconnected Risks Associated with Energy Investments." Austin, TX, USA.
  2. Texas A&M Energy Conference. Oral Presenter: "Bridging the Texas Water Gap: A Holistic Approach with Localized Solutions." College Station, TX, USA.
  3. World Water Week. Concluding Remarks: Seminar on "Water and Economic Growth," co-convened by Global Water Partnership, OECD, World Bank, and Stockholm International Water Institute. Stockholm, Sweden.
  4. International Water Resources Association (IWRA) & Sustainable Water Future Program. Oral Presenter: "The Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus Tool 2.0: Guiding Integrative Resource Planning and Decision Making." Webinar. (online).
  5. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Oral Presenter: "Decision Support Tools for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals." Workshop on Designing Integrated Assessment Tools to Support Sustainable Development and UN SDG National Strategies. Geneva, Switzerland.
  6. League of Arab States & Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Oral Presenter: "WEF Nexus 2.0 and WEF Nexus Tools." Policy Briefs for the Water, Energy and Food Nexus in the Arab Region Workshop. Cairo, Egypt.
  1. International Water Association (IWA) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Oral Presenter: "Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Analytical Framework and Applications." Symposium for Infrastructural Solutions in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Beijing, China.
  2. OCP Policy Center. Oral Presenter: "Food Security in the Desert: What Does It Take?" The WEF Nexus in Drylands: Bridging Science and Policy Conference. Rabat, Morocco.
  3. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Invited Contributor and Panelist: "Strengthening the Interface between Science and Policy Communities through Inclusive Tools." Expert Group Meeting: Global Sustainable Development Report; Expert Group Meeting: Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface. New York, NY, USA.
  4. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Invited Contributor: Chapter VI – "The Climate-Land-Energy-Water-Development Nexus." Expert Group Meeting: Global Sustainable Development Report. Stockholm, Sweden.
  5. UNESCO. Keynote Speaker. Regional Symposium on Advanced Energy Technologies for Enhanced Water Desalination Systems in the Arab Region. Tunis, Tunisia.
  6. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO). Panelist. Technical Workshop on Moving Ahead to Implement the Nexus Approach: Lessons Learned and Discussion of Next Steps Regarding Integrated Assessment of Water-Energy-Food Needs in a Climate Change Context. Rome, Italy.
  7. United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP18. Panelist and Workshop Leader: Joint Roundtable with QEERI, NASA & UNDP on "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change"; Workshop on Resource Planning ("Become a Minister for an Hour"); Civil Society Representative at Ministerial Roundtable Discussion. Doha, Qatar.

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