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Stem cells grow new windpipe for 2-year-old girl facing death

Experimental stem-cell treatment has been credited with saving the life of a 2-year-old girl who was born without a windpipe.

The Associated Press reported that the treatment involved extracting cells from the girls own hip bone marrow. The cells were then seeded on a plastic base, and left for a week to multiply and grow. They grew into a windpipe, which was subsequently implanted on the girl, Hannah Warren, in a nine-hour surgery on April 9, AP reported.

Until her operation, the girl who was born in South Korea in 2010 had not been able to breathe or eat without medical assistance. She had spent her entire life in a Seoul hospital, awaiting death until being transported to the United States for the experimental treatment.

Early prognosis is positive.

Doctors said Tuesday she will likely be able to lead a normal life, AP reported.

We feel like shes reborn, said her father, Darryl Warren, in the AP report. They hope that she can do everything that a normal child can do, but its going to take time. This is a brand new road that all of us are on. This is her only chance, but shes got a fantastic one and an unbelievable one.

The surgery was performed at Childrens Hospital of Illinois. The girl is the youngest patient to ever receive the treatment, doctors said, in the AP report.

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Stem cells grow new windpipe for 2-year-old girl facing death

Stemedica Issued U.S. Patent For Ectodermal Stem Cells – Stem …

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2013

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of adult allogeneic stem cells and stem cell factors announced that the Company has been issued keystone Patent No. 8,420,394 titled Culturing Ectodermal Cells Under Reduced Oxygen Tension by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This patent broadly covers Stemedicas proprietary manufacturing process for enhancing the proliferation and differentiation potential of ectodermal cells of any origin. The ectodermal layer gives rise to the cells of the skin and nervous system. The patented process provides Stemedica exclusivity for expanding and manufacturing ischemia tolerant ectodermal cells under reduced oxygen tension.

Nikolai Tankovich, MD, PhD, FASLMS, President and Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica noted, We are pleased that the USPTO recognizes the uniqueness of the technology and processes to manufacture ectodermal cell of any origin. This includes, but is not limited to: allogeneic and autologous adult, embryonic, parthenogenic and iPS sources of stem cells. When compared to stem cells expanded in normal oxygen, Stemedica cells exhibit superior migratory and engraftment properties, enhanced gap junction formation and a unique gene profile. These critical cell characteristics are the direct result of Stemedicas proprietary technology and expansion methodology.

Alex Kharazi, MD, PhD, Chief Technology Officer at Stemedica noted that, We recently published data from the spinal cord injury study in rats done by Ivan Cheng, MD, at Stanford University showing significant efficacy of Stemedicas neural stem cells injected intrathecally both distally and at the site of injury. We also anticipate publishing extremely promising data in the application of our neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and combined treatment in a mouse model of Alzheimers disease. This large scale animal study was funded by the Swiss government and examines both young and older mice for anatomical and biomarker changes in beta amyloid and tau proteins and brain re-perfusion.

Maynard Howe, PhD, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stemedica commented, While we are pleased to have added another patent to our growing portfolio of intellectual property, we are extremely excited to be issued this keystone patent. It represents the culmination of our research and development, coupled with our cGMP manufacturing processes and our license to make these cells broadly available.

About Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. http://www.stemedica.com Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. is a specialty bio-pharmaceutical company committed to the manufacturing and development of best-in-class allogeneic adult stem cells and stem cell factors for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical (human) trials. The company is a government licensed manufacturer of clinical grade stem cells and is approved by the FDA for its clinical trials for ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and cutaneous photoaging. Stemedica is currently developing regulatory pathways for a number of medical indications using adult allogeneic stem cells. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California.

For more information please contact Dave McGuigan at dmcguigan (at) stemedica (dot) com

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Adults lack stem cells for making new eggs, research shows – Stem …

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Mammalian females ovulate periodically over their reproductive lifetimes, placing significant demands on their ovaries for egg production. Whether mammals generate new eggs in adulthood using stem cells has been a source of scientific controversy. If true, these germ-line stem cells might allow novel treatments for infertility and other diseases. However, new research from Carnegies Lei Lei and Allan Spradling demonstrates that adult mice do not use stem cells to produce new eggs. Their work is published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of April 29.

Before birth, mouse and human ovaries contain an abundant supply of germ cells, some of which will develop into the eggs that will ultimately be released from follicles during ovulation. Around the time of birth these germ cells have formed a large reserve of primordial follicleseach containing a single immature egg. Evidence of new follicle production is absent after birth, so it has long been believed that the supply of follicles is fixed at birth and eventually runs out, leading to menopause.

During the last decade, some researchers have claimed that primordial follicles in adult mouse ovaries turn over and that females use adult germ-line stem cells to constantly resupply the follicle pool and sustain ovulation. These claims were based on subjective observations of ovarian tissue and on the behavior of extremely rare ovarian cells following extensive growth in tissue culture, a procedure that is capable of reprogramming cells.

Lei and Spradling used a technique that allows individual cells and their progeny within a living animal to be followed over time by marking the cells with a new gene. This general approach, known as lineage-tracing, has been a mainstay of classical developmental biology research and has greatly clarified knowledge of tissue stem cells during the last decade.

Their research showed that primordial follicles are highly stable, and that germ-line stem cell activity cannot be detected, even in response to the death of half the existing follicles. The research placed a stringent upper limit on the stem cell activity that could exist in the mouse ovary and escape detectionone stem cell division every two weeks, which is an insignificant level.

What about the rare stem-like cells generated in cultures of ovarian cells? According to Spradling, these cells likely arise by dedifferentiation in culture, and the same safety and reliability concerns would apply as to any laboratory-generated cell type that lacks a normal counterpart in the body.

Related: Do ovaries continue to produce eggs during adulthood?

More information: Female mice lack adult germ-line stem cells but sustain oogenesis using stable primordial follicles, PNAS, http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1306189110

Researchers have found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm. This finding, reported in the journal Cell in a special online release on August 4th, opens up new avenues for infertility research and treatment. A Kyo

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Study confirms that mesenchymal stem cells may help treat cancer …

Apr 30

Published on April 29, 2013 at 1:17 AM

Injection of human stem cells into mice with tumors slowed down tumor growth, finds research published in BioMed Centrals open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), isolated from bone marrow, caused changes in blood vessels supplying the tumor, and it is this modification of blood supply which seems to impact tumor growth.

The use of stem cells in treating cancer has been controversial, with some studies finding that stem cells force tumors to enter programmed cell death. However other studies find that stem cells actually promote tumor growth by inducing infiltration of new blood vessels. In attempting to sort out this puzzle researchers from INSERM groups at Universit- Joseph Fourier in collaboration with CHU de Grenoble investigated the impact of MSC on already established subcutaneous or lung metastasis in mice.

For both the subcutaneous and lung tumors, injection of MSC reduced cell division, consequently slowing the rate of tumor growth. Part of the mode of action of stem cells therefore appears to be due to with angiogenesis, but the mechanism behind this is still unclear.

Claire Rome who led this study explained, We found that MSC altered vasculature inside the tumor although new blood vessels were generated, overall they were longer and fewer than in untreated tumors. This could be restricting the oxygen and nutrients to the tumor, limiting cell division. She continued, Our study confirms others which propose that stem cells, in particular MSC, might be one way forwards in treating cancer.

Commenting on this study Celia Gomes, from the University of Coimbra, said, One of the interesting questions this study raises is when MSC promote tumor growth and when they restrict it. The answer seems to be timing this study looks at already established tumors, while others, which find that MSC increase growth, tend to be investigating new tumors. This is a first step in the path to identifying exactly which patients might benefit from stem cell therapy and who will not.

Source: BioMed Central

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Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 … – Stem Cell Cafe

NEW YORK, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01075729/Stem-Cell-Therapy-Market-in-Asia-Pacific-to-2018Commercialization-Supported-by-Favorable-Government-Policies-Strong-Pipeline-and-Increased-Licensing-Activity.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity

Summary

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity. The report provides an in-depth analysis on stem cell research and development in India, China, Japan, South-Korea and Singapore. The report market analysis and forecasts for CABG, LSCT, Type 1 DM, Type 2 DM, Hearticellgram, Cerecellgram, Cartistem and Cupistem. The report also provides information on trends and pipelines. In addition to this, the report covers market drivers and challenges for stem cell research market.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GBI Researchs team of industry experts.

GBI Research analysis finds the stem cell therapy market was valued at $545m in 2012, and is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10% from 2012 to 2018, to attain a value of $972m in 2018. The market is poised for significant growth in the forecast period due to the anticipated launch of JCR Pharmaceuticals JR-031 (2014) in Japan and FCB Pharmicells Cerecellgram (CCG) (2015) in South Korea. The research is mainly in early stages, with the majority of the molecules being in early stages of development (Phase I/II and Phase II). Phase I/II and Phase II contribute 67% of the pipeline. Stem cell research is dominated by hospitals/universities/institutions, which contribute 63% of the molecules in the pipeline. The dominance of institutional research is attributable to uncertain therapeutic outcomes in stem cell research.The major companies conducting research in India include Reliance Life Sciences and Stempeutics Research Pvt Ltd, among others. The major institutions include PGIMER and AIIMS.

Scope

Country analysis of regulatory framework of India, China, South-Korea, Japan and Singapore In-depth information and analysis on the pipeline products expected to bring a shift to the market positions of the leading manufacturers. Market characterization data for stem cell research for CABG, LSCT, Type 1 DM, Type 2 DM, Hearticellgram, Cerecellgram, Cartistem and Cupistem. Key drivers and restraints that have a significant impact on the market. Competitive landscape of stem cell research in Asia-Pacific. The key companies discussed in this report are Stempeutics, Reliance Lifesciences, International Stem cell services, Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology, JCR Pharmaceuticals, ES Cells International, Stem Cell Technologies i, Pharmicell and Medipost Key M&A activities, licensing agreements, that have taken place between stem cell companies in 2007 till date.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 ... - Stem Cell Cafe

NeoStem's Subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, Enters Into a Services Agreement With Sentien Biotechnologies, Inc.

ALLENDALE, N.J., April 29, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) and its subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy LLC ("PCT"), announced today the execution of a Services Agreement with Sentien Biotechnologies, Inc. ("Sentien") under which PCT will provide services to support Sentien's development of its cell therapy product, including technology transfer, staff training, and manufacturing.

Sentien is developing an allogeneic cell therapy product consisting of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells seeded onto a medical device for critical care indications. Sentien has engaged PCT for manufacture of the final formulation of its cell therapy product and intends to transfer and implement Sentien's master cell bank, product working cell bank and product manufacturing processes to PCT. These cell banks will be prepared according to Good Manufacturing Practices ("GMP") guidelines and implemented by PCT to create a cell therapy product for Sentien's Investigational New Drug ("IND") submission to the FDA. Upon obtaining an IND, Sentien intends to have PCT manufacture GMP compliant grade materials to support Sentien's Phase I clinical trial.

"We are excited to enter into this agreement with Sentien, an innovator for acute organ failure," said Robert A. Preti, PhD, President and Chief Scientific Officer of PCT. PCT is an internationally recognized contract development and manufacturing organization with facilities in Allendale, New Jersey and Mountain View, California. The company has expertise in GMP manufacture for cell therapies, including dendritic cells, stem cells and T cells. Notably, PCT provided manufacturing for the pivotal studies for Dendreon's Provenge(R), the first cell therapy approved for cancer treatment.

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. ("NeoStem" or the "Company") is a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry. Our business model includes the development of novel proprietary cell therapy products as well as operating a contract development and manufacturing organization ("CDMO") providing services to others in the regenerative medicine industry. The combination of a therapeutic development business and revenue-generating service provider business provides the Company with capabilities for cost effective in-house product development and immediate revenue and cash flow generation. http://www.neostem.com

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's research and development and clinical evaluation efforts for cellular therapies, including with respect to AMR-001, the future of the regenerative medicine industry and the role of stem cells and cellular therapy in that industry and the Company's ability to successfully grow its contract development and manufacturing business. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2013 and in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

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NeoStem's Subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, Enters Into a Services Agreement With Sentien Biotechnologies, Inc.

Clarifying the effect of stem cell therapy on cancer

Apr. 28, 2013 Injection of human stem cells into mice with tumors slowed down tumor growth, finds research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), isolated from bone marrow, caused changes in blood vessels supplying the tumor, and it is this modification of blood supply which seems to impact tumor growth.

The use of stem cells in treating cancer has been controversial, with some studies finding that stem cells force tumors to enter programmed cell death. However other studies find that stem cells actually promote tumor growth by inducing infiltration of new blood vessels. In attempting to sort out this puzzle researchers from INSERM groups at Universit Joseph Fourier in collaboration with CHU de Grenoble investigated the impact of MSC on already established subcutaneous or lung metastasis in mice.

For both the subcutaneous and lung tumors, injection of MSC reduced cell division, consequently slowing the rate of tumor growth. Part of the mode of action of stem cells therefore appears to be due to with angiogenesis, but the mechanism behind this is still unclear.

Claire Rome who led this study explained, "We found that MSC altered vasculature inside the tumor -- although new blood vessels were generated, overall they were longer and fewer than in untreated tumors. This could be restricting the oxygen and nutrients to the tumor, limiting cell division." She continued, "Our study confirms others which propose that stem cells, in particular MSC, might be one way forwards in treating cancer."

Commenting on this study Celia Gomes, from the University of Coimbra, said, "One of the interesting questions this study raises is when MSC promote tumor growth and when they restrict it. The answer seems to be timing -- this study looks at already established tumors, while others, which find that MSC increase growth, tend to be investigating new tumors. This is a first step in the path to identifying exactly which patients might benefit from stem cell therapy and who will not."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BioMed Central, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Clarifying the effect of stem cell therapy on cancer

Cryo-Save Group N.V. – Cord blood sample release for stem cell transplantation

Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, `Cryo-Save`, or `the Group`), the leading international stem cell storage company and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, announced a stem cell transplantation in Spain to treat Blackfan-Diamond Aneamia. It is the first time in Spain that this congenital anaemia, classified as a rare disease, has been treated using cord blood stem cells which were stored with Cryo-Save. A 4-year-old boy was treated for Blackfan-Diamond anaemia (BDA) with a stem cell transplant from his sister`s umbilical cord blood. The transplant was performed on April 25 at the Hospital del Nio Jess in Madrid, one of the most important paediatric hospitals in Spain. The transplantation was successful, and the child is expected to make a normal recovery. This pioneering treatment in Spain may herald a radical improvement in the child`s quality of life, as since birth he has required regular red blood cell transfusions. "Up until the transplantation our life was bound to red blood cell transfusions. We could hardly be happier, because now our son will be able to lead a completely normal life", said Elena, the boy`s mother. The parents had only found out about the possibility of this type of treatment when Elena was pregnant with her daughter, now the cord blood donor. "We had the opportunity to heal our son, if the sample was compatible, and we could not forego it", she said. "Our daughter will be very happy when she learns that her brother got better thanks to her", she added. "Blackfan-Diamond anaemia is a congenital disease that prevents the bone marrow from producing the red blood cells needed to carry oxygen throughout the body", explained Dr. Luis Madero, Head of the Oncohaematology Department of the Hospital Nio Jess in Madrid, and the physician who performed the transplantation. Until recently, the main treatments were periodical red blood cell transfusions, which clearly affects the patient`s quality of life, and long-term corticosteroid therapy, which is not tolerated in all cases. "The transplantation of umbilical cord blood stem cells, especially between siblings, is now a recommended treatment option for certain types of haematological diseases, such as BDA. The benefits versus other treatments for this disease are clear and confirmed by several studies", asserted Dr. Madero.

Arnoud van Tulder, Chief Executive officer, commented: "We are very proud and pleased to have contributed to alleviating this family`s suffering. Cryo-Save strives to serve society by offering the highest quality in stem cell cryopreservation and supporting innovative stem cell therapies that could save lives and improve the quality of life of patients.

"This successful stem cell transplantation is another example of the implementation of our mission, the quality of our internal procedures and underlines the importance of storing umbilical cord blood stem cells for potential family needs."

Enquiries:

Cryo-Save Group, Arnoud van Tulder, Chief Executive Officer, + 31 (0) 575 509 100

The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Cryo-Save Group N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE HUG#1697135

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Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Names Istvan Redei, MD, as National Director of Stem Cell Transplant and …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) announced the appointment of Istvan Redei, MD, as National Director of Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy. Dr. Redei, is based at the CTCA Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion, Illinois where he continues to serve as the Director of Stem Cell Therapy and Cell Therapy Program. Since joining CTCA he and his team have been responsible for treating over 700 analytic hematologic patients and performing nearly 200 transplant procedures.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090612/CTCALOGO)

"It is through Dr. Redei's leadership and vision," said Roger Cary, Chief Operating Officer, "that the stem cell transplant and cell therapy program at Midwestern has grown to be a premier center of healing and hope for those battling hematologic malignancies such as acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), lymphomas, and multiple myeloma."

Dr. Redei is a graduate of Szilagyi Erzebet College, Budapest, Hungary with a Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to receive his Doctoral qualifications at Semmelweis Ignac Medical University, Budapest, Hungary. He has trained at New York Medical College, Temple University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Emory University School of Medicine. At Emory University Dr. Redei was part of the Quality Improvement Committee, Clinical Research Committee and Working Committee for Bone Marrow Transplant and Leukemia program. Dr. Redei received the Semmelweis Ignac Medical University Scholarship, graduated Summa cum laude and was named one of the "Top Doctors" in Atlanta in 2001.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc. (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals focusing on complex and advanced stage cancer. CTCA offers a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment and serves patients from all 50 states at facilities located in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. Known for delivering the Mother Standard of care and Patient Empowerment Medicine, CTCA provides patients with information about cancer and their treatment options so they can control their treatment decisions. For more information about CTCA, go to http://www.cancercenter.com.

SOURCE Cancer Treatment Centers of America

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Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Names Istvan Redei, MD, as National Director of Stem Cell Transplant and ...

German stem cells give new life to cancer patient in Gujarat – Stem …

Apr 28

AHMEDABAD: Just over a fortnight ago, a German man took eight injections and got hooked up to a machine for five-odd hours while peripheral blood stem cells were collected. These were put on a flight and sent to the city-based Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) to give a 50-year-old housewife Kesar Devi a fresh lease life.

Even as news of an Indian donor ditching Stanford University professor Nalini Ambady, battling for life after a leukemia relapse, hit the headlines recently, Gujarat has recorded its first matched unrelated donor transplantation using stems cells of an international donor.

Kesar Devi was diagnosed with blood cancer last year. After chemotherapy, her cancer resurfaced recently. Stem cell transplantation was the next line of treatment. Unfortunately, both her brother and sister did not turn out to be a perfect match as donors.

No donor was found on the two Indian registries, which has 20,000 donors each. Since GCRI had registered with German bone marrow donor registry DKMS, her data was uploaded. She found a single match in the German man who donated his stem cells. In fact, two other blood cancer patients have also found their matching donors in the German registry.

On Saturday, it was Day 16 after the stem cell transplant where Kesars diseases blood cells were destroyed with chemotherapy and the German mans stem cells infused into her bloodstream. The hope was that she would get a 50% chance at life again. Kesar is doing well and is likely to be discharged on Monday.

International donors are a significant development given that siblings of many patients decline to be donors. At least two out of 10 patients siblings refuse to become donors, said Dr Sandip Shah, director of the bone marrow transplant department at GCRI.

People here either fear they will invite disease if they donate marrow or blood stem cells or are restrained by relatives. Peripheral blood stem cells regenerate within 48 hours of donation, Shah added.

Germans offer subsidized donor marrow and stem cell at Rs 6 lakh while the same sourced from the US can cost between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh.

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