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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Articles 61 - 90 of 124

Full-Text Articles in Software Engineering

Formal Object State Model Transformations For Automated Agent System Synthesis, David W. Marsh Mar 2000

Formal Object State Model Transformations For Automated Agent System Synthesis, David W. Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

Automated agent system synthesis is the process of generating code from a requirements specification with appropriate inputs from the software engineer. Object-oriented (OO) specifications are frequently used to model intelligent software agent systems and software requirements in general; formal representations capture precisely the intentions of the specifier. Portions of OO specifications can be classified as the structural, functional, and state (or dynamic) models; major strides have been taken in the development of transformations for creating code from formal OO specifications, specifically the structural and functional aspects, and are captured within the AFIT Wide-Spectrum Object Modeling Environment (AWSOME). This research creates …

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Implementation Of Speech Recognition Software For Text Processing: An Exploratory Analysis, Sean P. Abell Dec 1999

Implementation Of Speech Recognition Software For Text Processing: An Exploratory Analysis, Sean P. Abell

Theses and Dissertations

The rationale behind implementing new information technologies is often to gain productivity improvements associated with the substitution of machinery for labor. However, the literature shows little direct evidence of a positive relationship between information technology investment and subsequent productivity benefits. This thesis reports on the examination into the productivity implications of implementing speech recognition software in a text processing environment. More specifically, research was conducted to compare text processing speeds and error rates using speech recognition software versus the keyboard and mouse. Of interest was the time required to input and proofread text processing tasks as well as the number …

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Formal Representation And Application Of Software Design Information, Thomas M. Schorsch Sep 1999

Formal Representation And Application Of Software Design Information, Thomas M. Schorsch

Theses and Dissertations

Formal methods for developing software use mathematical frameworks to specify, develop and verify software systems, especially safety critical systems where error free software is a necessity. A transformation system is a formal method that refines a requirement specification into an implementation by successively adding design decisions in the form of precisely verified design information. Current algebraic representations of design information (specifications, morphisms, and interpretations) and methods for applying algebraic specification design information (diagram refinement) cannot correctly represent and apply design information involving higher level design information. This investigation develops innovative methods for constructing and refining structured algebraic requirement specifications, as …

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An Interactive Tool For Refining Software Specifications From A Formal Domain Model, Gary L. Anderson Mar 1999

An Interactive Tool For Refining Software Specifications From A Formal Domain Model, Gary L. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the process for refining a software specification from a formal object-oriented domain model. This process was implemented with interactive software to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of automating what has been a tedious and often error-prone manual task. The refinement process operates within the framework of a larger Knowledge-Based Software Engineering system. A generic object-oriented representation is used to store a domain model, which allows the specification tool to access, select, and manipulate the required objects to form a customized specification. The specification is also stored as an object-oriented model, which in turn can be accessed by …

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Transforming Aggregate Object-Oriented Formal Specifications To Code, John A. Kissack Mar 1999

Transforming Aggregate Object-Oriented Formal Specifications To Code, John A. Kissack

Theses and Dissertations

The feasibility of a transformational formal-based software engineering tool has been the focus of AFIT research for several years. Until now, the main research emphasis has been placed on the individual components that would comprise such a transformational system; therefore, this research demonstrates how a representative collection of aggregate objects would be transformed from specification to code. The research focused on critical integration issues associated with a formal-based software transformation system, such as the source specification, the problem space architecture, design architecture, design transforms, and target software transforms. Software is critical in today's Air Force, yet its specification, design, and …

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A Web-Based Prototype For Afit Edplan Administration, Tien-Chen Lee Dec 1998

A Web-Based Prototype For Afit Edplan Administration, Tien-Chen Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This document details the design, development, and evaluation of a prototype course registration and reporting system for the students and faculty of the United States Air Force Institute of Technology. The web-based system provides HTML-based client interfaces and Active Server Page server processes for interaction with the relational databases used to manage course and personnel data. The system prototype was developed following the "Engineering Software Components for Web-Database Access" methodology of Dipiro. A survey of modern web-based database access techniques is first provided and Dipiro's methodology is reviewed as background. The remainder of the document details the application of the …

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Development Of An Operations Research Software Package For Army Divisions, Blane C. Wilson Dec 1998

Development Of An Operations Research Software Package For Army Divisions, Blane C. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

There exists great potential for applying operations research techniques to solve specific problems in the areas of operations, installation support, and training at the Army division level. Because of the operational tempo of today's active-duty and reserve component units, command must focus on accomplishing the daily missions. Also, due their limited knowledge of the field, planners may not be aware of how operations research can be used to enhance planning and operations. Time, training funds, resources, safety, personnel, and equipment are all critical factors in this process. Operations research techniques could be used to improve division-level operations by saving time, …

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An Investigation Into The Use Of Software Product Metrics For Cobol Systems, Richard E. Boone Nov 1997

An Investigation Into The Use Of Software Product Metrics For Cobol Systems, Richard E. Boone

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated several hypotheses that specific product measures could be used to predict later software lifecycle process or product measures. It collected software product and process measures from four consecutive major releases of a large Cobol legacy system (400K LOC). The types of product measures used were size and specific complexity measures. A statistical software package was used to calculate sample correlation coefficients between the measures. A 95% confidence interval was computed for each sample correlation coefficient that showed a strong or moderate linear correlation. The maintenance process measures provided were manhours used for each program changed or added, …

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Extracting Functionally Equivalent Object-Oriented Designs From Legacy Imperative Code, Ricky E. Sward Sep 1997

Extracting Functionally Equivalent Object-Oriented Designs From Legacy Imperative Code, Ricky E. Sward

Theses and Dissertations

This research defines a methodology for automatically extracting functionally equivalent object-oriented designs from legacy imperative programs. The Parameter-Based Object Identification (PBOI) methodology is based on fundamental ideas that relate programs written in imperative languages such as C or COBOL to objects and classes written in object-oriented languages such as Ada 95 or C ++. Transformations have been developed that formalize the PBOI methodology and a formal proof is provided showing the extracted object-oriented design is functionally equivalent to the legacy imperative system. To focus the task of re-engineering, generic models of imperative programming languages and object-oriented programming languages have been …

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Analysis And Design Of Standard Telerobotic Control Software, Matthew L. June Dec 1996

Analysis And Design Of Standard Telerobotic Control Software, Matthew L. June

Theses and Dissertations

The Robotics and Automation Center for Excellence (RACE) has defined an open telerobotics control architecture. This architecture, called the Unified Telerobotic Architecture Project (UTAP), is a proposed standard for all Air Force telerobotic systems. Implementation of UTAP will reduce the cost of robotic applications by increasing software modularity, portability, and reusability. This thesis continued the effort to prove the feasibility of UTAP. In December, 1995, 1st Lt Anchor implemented a portion of the UTAP specification on a PUMA robot. The UTAP-compliant controller exhibited some degradation in the system performance. However, the performance degradation was not fully measured. This thesis extended …

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Elicitation Of Formal Software Specifications From An Object-Oriented Domain Model, Timothy Karagias Dec 1996

Elicitation Of Formal Software Specifications From An Object-Oriented Domain Model, Timothy Karagias

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to provide automated support for the generation of formal software specifications would lead to decreased software development time. By eliciting the needed information from a software developer and harvesting the proper parts of a domain model, a software specifications document could be created. This research establishes the feasibility of producing customized software specifications based on an object-oriented domain model. The research was conducted in three phases. The first phase was to define the requirements for the Elicitor Harvester. Those requirements were balanced between the capabilities of the existing Knowledge Based Software Engineering (KBSE) software used at AFIT and …

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An Approach To Evaluate Software Effectiveness, Timothy J. Schalick Dec 1996

An Approach To Evaluate Software Effectiveness, Timothy J. Schalick

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) is tasked with the evaluation of operational effectiveness of new systems for the Air Force. Currently, the software analysis team within AFOTEC has no methodology to directly address the effectiveness of the software portion of these new systems. This research develops a working definition for software effectiveness, then outlines an approach to evaluate software effectiveness-- the Software Effectiveness Traceability Approach (SETA). Effectiveness is defined as the degree to which the software requirements are satisfied and is therefore application-independent. With SETA, requirements satisfaction is measured by the "degree of traceability" throughout the …

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Analysis And Simulation Of A New Code Tracking Loop For Gps Multipath Mitigation, Mark C. Laxton Dec 1996

Analysis And Simulation Of A New Code Tracking Loop For Gps Multipath Mitigation, Mark C. Laxton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a new direct sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS) code phase tracking loop which mitigates the effects of multipath interference on code phase tracking error; such errors can translate to significant range measurement errors in DS/SS ranging systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS). The new code tracking loop, called the modified RAKE delay lock loop (MRDLL), uses maximum likelihood (ML) signal parameter estimation to determine the amplitude, carrier phase, and relative propagation delay of both a direct path and a reflected signal; a multiple correlator code phase tracking loop then exploits these ML signal estimates to remove the …

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Integrating The Capability Maturity Model For Software And The Quality Air Force Criteria, Marshall B. Messamore Dec 1996

Integrating The Capability Maturity Model For Software And The Quality Air Force Criteria, Marshall B. Messamore

Theses and Dissertations

As defense budgets decrease and it is required to do more with less, the Air Force has chosen to use the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) as the basis for implementing quality principles. The Air Force program is known as Quality Air Force (QAF), and the criteria are referred to as the QAF criteria DEPA95b. At about the same time the Department of the Air Force implemented QAF, the software leaders in the Air Force adopted the Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM) as the internal standard for Air Force software organizations MOSE9l. Software organizations strapped with both sets …

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Calibration Of The Softcost-R Software Cost Model To The Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc) Software Database (Swdb), Steven V. Southwell Sep 1996

Calibration Of The Softcost-R Software Cost Model To The Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc) Software Database (Swdb), Steven V. Southwell

Theses and Dissertations

The rising number and importance of Department of Defense software developments, when combined with declining defense budgets, has resulted in a critical need to accurately plan and manage software development costs and schedules. Unfortunately, the increasing size, complexity, and diversity of these software developments has made accurate estimating problematic. Uncalibrated software cost models have not generally produced reliable results due to generic default parameters and improper usage. The default parameters cannot hope to accurately represent and predict the wide variability of software efforts to which the models are being applied. However, some of the models have achieved improved accuracy by …

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Calibration Of The Checkpoint Model To The Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc) Software Database (Swdb), Karen R. Mertes Sep 1996

Calibration Of The Checkpoint Model To The Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc) Software Database (Swdb), Karen R. Mertes

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the effect of calibration on the performance of the CHECKPOINT Version 2.3.1 software cost estimating model. Data used for input into the model were drawn from the FY 95 USAF SMC Software Database (SWDB) Version 2.1. A comparison was made between the model's accuracy before and after calibration. This was done using records which were not used in calibration, referred to as validation points. A comparison of calibration points, both before and after, was done in order to assess whether calibration results in more consistency within the data set used. Six measures such as magnitude of relative …

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Formal Transformations From Graphically-Based Object-Oriented Representations To Theory-Based Specifications, Scott A. Deloach Jun 1996

Formal Transformations From Graphically-Based Object-Oriented Representations To Theory-Based Specifications, Scott A. Deloach

Theses and Dissertations

Formal software specification has long been touted as a way to increase the quality and reliability of software; however, it remains an intricate, manually intensive activity. An alternative to using formal specifications is to use graphically-based, semi-formal specifications such as those used in many object-oriented specification methodologies. While semi-formal specifications are generally easier to develop and understand, they lack the rigor and precision of formal specification techniques. The basic premise of this investigation is that formal software specifications can be constructed using correctness preserving transformations from graphically-based object-oriented representations. In this investigation, object-oriented specifications defined using Rumbaugh's Object Modeling Technique …

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Application Of Autoregressive Moving Average Linear Prediction Filters To The Characterization Of Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling, Carter N. Borst Jan 1996

Application Of Autoregressive Moving Average Linear Prediction Filters To The Characterization Of Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling, Carter N. Borst

Theses and Dissertations

Linear prediction filtering techniques have been used in studying the coupling processes between the solar wind and magnetosphere. The magnetosphere is a complex, dynamic system with at least two independent coupling methods for energy input, driven and unloading. Linear models were built and tested on the Bargatze data set, consisting of over 70 days of geomagnetic indices and solar wind data ordered in 34 intervals of increasing geomagnetic activity. Linear filtering techniques employing single-and multiple-input, autoregressive models predicted values of the magnetic index AL from solar wind data. The impulse response curves of the AL-coupling function groups showed amplitude peaks …

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Objectism 3.0: A Software Architecture For The Development Of Portable Visual Simulation Applications, Shawn M. Hannan Dec 1995

Objectism 3.0: A Software Architecture For The Development Of Portable Visual Simulation Applications, Shawn M. Hannan

Theses and Dissertations

A visual simulation software architecture is a reusable design for visual simulation applications. This thesis effort was the third stage in an ongoing refinement of such an architecture, named ObjectSim. The primary goals of this stage were to improve the architecture by eliminating its dependence on two platform-specific graphics libraries (named GL and Performer, from Silicon Graphics, Inc.), and to examine the potential for expanding the architecture to accommodate distributed simulations. The effort resulted in a new version of the architecture which allows the development of visual simulation applications which take full advantage of the aforementioned libraries without calling those …

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Transforming Algebraically-Based Object Models Into A Canonical Form For Design Refinement, Charles G. Beem Dec 1995

Transforming Algebraically-Based Object Models Into A Canonical Form For Design Refinement, Charles G. Beem

Theses and Dissertations

The understandability of object-oriented design techniques and the rigor of formal methods have improved the state of software development; however, both ideas have limitations. Object-oriented techniques, which are semi-formal, can still result in incorrect designs, while formal methods are complex and require an extensive mathematical background. The two approaches can be coupled, however, to produce designs that are both understandable and verifiable, and to produce executable code. This research proposes an approach where object-oriented models are first represented algebraically in a formal specification language such as LARCH and then transformed into a canonical form suitable for design refinement. In the …

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An Object-Oriented, Formal Methods Approach To Organizational Process Modeling, Vincent S. Hibdon Dec 1995

An Object-Oriented, Formal Methods Approach To Organizational Process Modeling, Vincent S. Hibdon

Theses and Dissertations

This document presents a methodology for developing an organizational process model which is based on the principles of object oriented design and formal software engineering methods. The methodology begins with the development of an object oriented Rumbaugh model (27). The Rumbaugh model is then formally specified in Z (Zed) schemas. Finally, the Z specifications are translated into an executable model in the Software Refinery Environment(TM). This model is described based on the AF wing domain and developed in this domain. The proposed methodology is then shown to produce a very general model which is extendable across almost any domain. The …

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Calibration Of The System Evaluation And Estimation Of Resources Software Estimation Model (Seer-Sem) For The Air Force Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc), Kolin D. Rathmann Sep 1995

Calibration Of The System Evaluation And Estimation Of Resources Software Estimation Model (Seer-Sem) For The Air Force Space And Missile Systems Center (Smc), Kolin D. Rathmann

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether calibration of the SEER-SEM impacted the effort estimates generated by the model for software developments- A historical database was provided by the Space and Missile System's Center Los Angeles, and used as the model's input data. The data was stratified into four usable platforms, military ground command and-control, military ground signal processing, military specification avionics, and military mobile. Each platform's data sets were split, the majority of points for calibration of the model, and the rest for model validation. The accuracy of SEER to this particular data set is limited, yet the model did respond to …

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Calibration Of The Software Architecture Sizing And Estimation Tool (Saset), Carl D. Vegas Sep 1995

Calibration Of The Software Architecture Sizing And Estimation Tool (Saset), Carl D. Vegas

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to analyze the effect of calibration on the performance of the SASET computer software cost estimating model. Data used for input into the model were drawn from the most current USAF SMC Software Database (SWDB). Once all the records to be used for analysis were identified, the DBMS-Calibration tool (which is part of SASET) was used to perform regression analysis on the relationship between program size (measured in SLOC) and the effort required to develop the program (measured in man-months). Productivity information reported from this tool was then input into equations used to calculate the Productivity Calibration …

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Formal Foundations For The Specification Of Software Architecture, Mark J. Gerken Mar 1995

Formal Foundations For The Specification Of Software Architecture, Mark J. Gerken

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation establishes a formal foundation for software architecture that allows for the specification of large, non-trivial software systems using well founded, consistency preserving construction techniques. Two fundamental problems were addressed: how to define and express architectures formally using the concept of theories, and how architecture theories can be practically applied in specification construction. The initial stages of this investigation sought to establish a formal, mathematical relationship between functional specifications of behavior and specifications defining system structure. Experimental results lead to the conclusion that architectures defining the structure of functional operations can be defined using functional logic, but more complex …

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Analysis And Extension Of Model-Based Software Executives, Keith E. Lewis Jan 1995

Analysis And Extension Of Model-Based Software Executives, Keith E. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This research developed a comprehensive description of the simulation environment of Architect, a domain-oriented application composition system being developed at the Air Force Institute of Technology to explore new software engineering technologies. The description combines information from several previous research efforts and Architect's source code into a single, comprehensive document. A critical evaluation of the simulation environment was also performed, identifying improvements and modifications that enhance Architecture's application execution capabilities by reducing complexity and execution time. The analysis was then taken one step further and presented extensions to the current simulation environment. The extensions included investigating the feasibility of mixed-mode …

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Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation And Head Motion Tracking In A Virtual Environment: An Engineering Approach, James E. Russell Dec 1994

Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation And Head Motion Tracking In A Virtual Environment: An Engineering Approach, James E. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Software engineering tools and techniques were applied to design and implement an application that reduces lag typically present in virtual environment displays. The application was a Multiple Model Adaptive Estimator (MMAE), composed of three Kalman filters, that predicted head orientation one sample period into the future. The environment rendering software used these predictions to generate the environment display. Each of the filters in the MMAE was designed for a different assumed head motion type (benign, moderate, or heavy), which allowed the MMAE to adapt to changes in head movement characteristics. The use of Ada 9X as an implementation language for …

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A Correlational Study Of The Sei's Capability Maturity Model And Software Development Performance In Dod Contracts, Robert M. Flowe, James B. Thordahl Dec 1994

A Correlational Study Of The Sei's Capability Maturity Model And Software Development Performance In Dod Contracts, Robert M. Flowe, James B. Thordahl

Theses and Dissertations

The Software Engineering Institute's (SEl's) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is to measure an organization's software development process maturity. The Department of Defense (DoD) has model with the belief that a more mature software development process will result in a more successful software subject. Although there is a growing body of anecdotal evidence supporting this presumed correlation, there is empirical evidence. Thus, the goal of our research was to determine the nature of the correlation, if any, :ware process maturity and software project success, where process maturity is based on a CMM rating and success based on the parameters of cost …

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The Re-Engineering Of The Air Force Institute Of Technology Student Information System, Douglas J. Wu Dec 1994

The Re-Engineering Of The Air Force Institute Of Technology Student Information System, Douglas J. Wu

Theses and Dissertations

This research describes the design and implementation issues associated with re-engineering the Air Force Institute of Technology Student Information System (AFITSIS). Currently, AFITSIS executes on aging relational database technology and has unfriendly user interface mechanisms. The two research objectives met were to research current AFITSIS requirements, design, and implementation, and use object-oriented methods to design an alternative implementation based on proposed object database management system standards. This research explores how AFITSIS performance and capabilities might be enhanced by taking advantage of new object-oriented software engineering techniques. One of the primary benefits of this research is a detailed object modeling technique …

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A Comparison Of Error Categorization Schemes For Use In Software System Safety Programs, Richard Escobedo, Jim Thomas Dec 1994

A Comparison Of Error Categorization Schemes For Use In Software System Safety Programs, Richard Escobedo, Jim Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Software safety is becoming increasingly important in the development of DoD advanced weapon systems. To make software safer, hazard conditions must be avoided along with the errors that accompany them. The first step in identifying errors is classifying error data. The area of software error classification is not as advanced as other software development areas. The technical literature lacks examples of comprehensive taxonomies that can be applied to various computer software domains and applications. The predominant approach is to organize errors into categories particular to the program currently in work. The typical error scheme is made of narrow categories that …

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Easy-Sim: A Visual Simulation System Software Architecture With An Ada 9x Application Framework, Jordan R. Kayloe Dec 1994

Easy-Sim: A Visual Simulation System Software Architecture With An Ada 9x Application Framework, Jordan R. Kayloe

Theses and Dissertations

Software architectures increase productivity when used as the basis for developing applications in a problem domain. This thesis describes the creation of Easy-Sim, an object-oriented software architecture for visual simulation systems, and its corresponding implementation as an application framework in Ada 9X. The research built upon ObjectSim, an existing object-oriented simulation architecture implemented as a application framework. Both ObjectSim and Easy-Sim operate on Silicon Graphics platforms and use the IRIS Performer graphics programming library. Easy-Sim is implemented using version 1.83 of the GNAT compiler. The investigation for this thesis involved honing ObjectSim's design, implementing the improved result in both C++ …

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