UNIT 6: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

UNIT

0 PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS OF
DESCRIPTIVE
ANALYTICS

6
This unit is intended to present you to make
descriptive analytics and developing insights from data
using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
This software was used by numerous researchers for the
handling, analyzing, and interpreting of data. Also, it
provides answers for managing data, which allow
researchers to execute case selection, build derivative
data, and make file restructuring. The feature of SPSS is
similarly to a spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft
Excel, Goggle Sheet and even MS Access in its main
view.

The most apparent use of SPSS is to use for

statistical testing. SPSS has numerical tests built into all
the most widely used in the software. Therefore, we do
not have to complete any mathematical procedures by
hand. The software is useful in conducting descriptive
analytics in order for the researchers to interpret the data
easily.

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LESSON 1:
THE SPSS ENVIRONMENT

OBJECTIVES:
After completing the lesson, you should be able to:
 Familiarize with the environment of SPSS.

 Apply how to enter data in SPSS.

 Know how to load and save data file in SPSS.

Duration: 5 Hours
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The SPSS Environment

Start-up processes for SPSS will vary slightly. The screenshots below is the start-up
from the Windows version of SPSS Version 23.

Figure 6.1 Start up Screen of SPSS

When SPSS is started, a dialog box will appear on your screen. If you have the dialog
box, click OK, which will present a blank data window .
If you were not open with the dialog box above, the software should begin
automatically with a blank data window. The data and output window offer the basic
environment for SPSS. A blank data window is shown below.

Figure 6.2 IBM SPSS Version 23 environment

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You will see a taskbar at the bottom of the screen. It displays an IBM SPSS icon.
Once you open any programs, it will show on the taskbar, and the current software
you are using will be emphasized.
Next, spot the 3 small squares in the topmost right-hand angle of the main IBM SPSS
screen. The one utmost to the right, with an X, is used when you want to exit any
program you are using. The inner of the 3 small squares lets you to have the window
you are using in load the whole screen, or to shrink it down to a smaller size. If the
inner square shows 2 cascading rectangles in it, the window is already as big as it can
get— selecting on this square will reduce the window in size. The last square, to the
left of the other two, has what looks like a minus sign on it. This is to minimize a
window.

Entering Data in SPSS

Before entering any data, you must enter some basic data about each variable into
SPSS. For example, variables must first be given names that start with a letter, and
do not contain any space.

Hence, the variable name “B9” is acceptable, while the variable name “8M” is not. To
describe a variable, select and click on the Variable View tab at the bottom of the main
screen. While, select and click on the Data View tab to return to the Data View window.

Variable View allows you to make and correct all of the variables in your data file.
Every column signifies some property of a variable, and for every row represents a
variable. All variables must be set for a name. To do that, select and click on the first
blank cell in the Name column and type a valid variable name.

Furthermore, you have the choice of describing the variable type. To do that, simply
select and click on the Type, Width, or Decimals section in the Variable View window.
The default value is numeric, with 8 digits wide, with 2 decimal places displayed. If you
the data are higher than 8 digits to the left of the decimal place, they will be showed in
scientific notation (e.g., the number 2,000,000,000 will be displayed as 2.00E+09).
SPSS preserves correctness beyond 2 decimal places, but all output will be rounded
to 2 decimal places if otherwise specified in the Decimals column.

Example:
Create a data file for the 8 variables and five sample students. Name your variables:
ID, DEPARTMENT, YEAR, SECTION, DAY, TIME, WORK and GRADE. You should
code DEPARTMENT as 1= CICT, 2= CBA, 3=CIT, 4= CON, 5=COE, 6=COS; YEAR
as 1= First Year, 2= Second Year, 3= Third Year, 4= Fourth Year; SECTION as 1= A,
2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=E; DAY as 1 = Mon/Wed/Fri, 2 = Tues/Thurs. Code TIME as 1 =
morning, 2 = afternoon. Code WORK as 0 = No, 1 = Part-time, 2 = Full-time. For the
different variables, be sure you enter value labels. When complete, your Variable
View window should look like the screenshot below.

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Figure 6.3 Variable View Screen of SPSS

Select and click on the Data View tab to start entering data on screen. Enter data
horizontally, starting with the first student’s ID number. Use the given code for each
variable in the proper column.

Figure 6.4 Data View Screen of SPSS

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Loading and Saving Data Files

Loading and saving data files are the same as most windows-based software. From
the File menu, there are Open, Save, Save As, and other commands. When saving
SPSS data files, you will create a “.sav” extension, which is added by default at the
end of the filename.

Figure 6.5 Saving Data Files in SPSS

During loading of data (by clicking File, then select and click Open, then Data), you
will see a similar window. This window lists all files with the “.sav” extension.

Figure 6.6. Loading Data File in SPSS

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APPLICATION ACTIVITY FOR LESSON 1

HOW DO YOU APPLY

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED?

Name: _______________________________ Date: _______________________

Course & Section: _____________________ Result: _____________________

1. Based on the student survey questionnaire, enter the codes based on the codebook
below using Data View. Verify the correctness of your data entry by scanning down
each column. Then check everything carefully.
Sample Survey Questionnaire

Source: Nelson, E. (n.d.). IBM SPSS statistics for windows, version 23: A Basic Tutorial.
Retrieved from http://ssric.org/node/582. Social Science Research and Instructional Center

(1) What is your age? ________

(2) Are you ____ male or ___ female?

(3) What is your religious preference?

___ Protestant ___Catholic ___ Jewish ___ Some other religion ___No religion

(4) Generally speaking, in politics, do you consider yourself as

___conservative ___ liberal __ or middle of the road

(5) What kind of marriage do you think is the more satisfying way of life?

___ One where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of
the house and children

___ One where both the husband and wife have jobs and both take care of the
house and children
(6) Do you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal
abortion?

(7) If there is a strong chance of serious defect in the baby?

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__Yes __ No ___Don’t Know

(8) If she is married and does not want any more children?
__Yes __ No ___Don’t Know

(9) If the woman's own health is seriously endangered by pregnancy?

__Yes __ No ___Don’t Know

(10) If the family has a very low income and cannot afford any more children?

__Yes __ No ___Don't Know

(11) If she became pregnant as a result of rape?
__Yes __ No ___Don’t Know
(12) If she is not married and does not want to marry the man?
__Yes __No __ Don’t Know

(13) If the woman wants it for any reason

__Yes __ No ___Don’t Know
Codebook for Student Questionnaire
Source: Nelson, E. (n.d.). IBM SPSS statistics for windows, version 23: A Basic Tutorial. Retrieved
from http://ssric.org/node/582. Social Science Research and Instructional Center

Variable Name Values

Age Age at last birthday

Sex 1 = male, 2 = female

1 = Protestant, 2 = Catholic, 3 = Jewish, 4 = Other,
Religious Preference 5 = None
1 = Conservative, 2 = Liberal, 3 = Middle of the
Political Orientation road

Preferred Marriage 1 = Traditional, 2 = Shared

Abortion if Birth Defect 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Abortion if No More
Children 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Abortion if Health Risk 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Abortion if Poor 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Abortion if Rape 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Abortion if Not Married 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

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Variable Name Values

Abortion For Any Reason 1= Yes, 2 = No, 3 = Don't Know

Planning Matrix for Data-entry Exercise

Source: Nelson, E. (n.d.). IBM SPSS statistics for windows, version 23: A Basic Tutorial. Retrieved
from http://ssric.org/node/582. Social Science Research and Instructional Center

age sex rel conlib mg abd abn abh abp abr abs aba
01 20 1 4 2 2 2 2 1 3 1 2 2
02 24 2 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 9
03 21 2 2 9 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
04 24 2 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
05 26 2 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
06 28 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2
07 23 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2
08 22 2 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
09 22 1 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
10 22 2 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
11 23 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 3
12 24 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
13 51 2 1 2 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
14 22 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
15 21 2 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
16 37 1 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2
17 22 2 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2
18 22 2 3 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2
19 22 2 4 3 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1
20 30 2 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
21 25 2 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
22 23 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
23 21 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1

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LESSON 2:
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

OBJECTIVES:

After completing the lesson, you should be able to:

 Demonstrate how to analyze data.

 Apply Frequency Distributions and Percentile Ranks for a

Single Variable
 Create a Frequency distribution.

 Apply Frequency Distribution and Percentiles Ranks for

Multiple Variables.

 Apply Measures of Central Tendency and Measures of

Dispersion for a Single Group.

Duration: 5 Hours

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Running Your First Analysis

To begin, we will compute the students’ average grade. In the Analyze Menu, majority
of statistical tests are available. This menu shows all the possible choices available
for your version of the SPSS program.

Figure 6.7 Analyzing Data

In calculating mean (average), the computer will summarize the dataset. Thus, we
run the command by selecting and clicking Analyze menu, then select Descriptive
Statistics, then choose Descriptives .

Figure 6.8 Descriptive Dialog Box

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Descriptives dialog box will appear on your screen. Please be reminded that the left
side of the box holds a list of all the variables in our data file. While the right side is an
area labeled Variable(s), where we can identify the variables we would like to use in
this particular analysis.

Let us compute for the mean for the variable called GRADE. Therefore, we need to
choose the variable name in the left window. To put it to the right window, select and
click on the right arrow among the two windows. The arrow always points to the
window contrasting the selected item and can be used to transfer selected variables
in either direction.

If you select and click on the OK button, the analysis or inquiry will be conducted, and
be prepared to test the output.

Figure 6.9 Output Window

The output window is split into two sections. The left section is an outline of the output.
While the right section is the output itself.

Frequency Distributions and Percentile Ranks for a Single

Variable

The use of Frequencies command produces frequency distributions for the specified
variables. Output comprises of occurrences, percentages, valid percentages, and
cumulative percentages. Valid percentages and the cumulative percentages include
only the data that are not designated as missing. Frequency is useful for describing
samples where the mean is not useful. Also, it is useful as a technique of getting the
composition for your data. It offers more information than just using a mean and
standard deviation. Furthermore, it can be useful in determining skew and identifying
outliers.

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Cumulative percentages and percentiles are valid only for data that are measured on
at least an ordinal scale. Since the output holds one line for every value of a variable,
this understanding works best on variables with a comparatively small number of
values.
Frequency command presents output that shows both the number of cases in the
sample of a particular value and the percentage of cases with that value. Therefore,
conclusions drawn should relate only to telling the numbers or percentages of cases
in the sample. If the data are at least ordinal in nature, conclusions regarding the
cumulative percentage and/or percentiles can be drawn.
Finally, it requires one variable in SPSS data file for obtaining frequency distributions,
and that variable can be of any type.

Creating a Frequency Distribution

This example below uses Practice Exercise 1. And to run the frequencies command,
select and click Analyze menu, then choose Descriptive Statistics, and then choose
Frequencies. This will bring up the main dialog box below. Transfer the variable for
which you would like a frequency distribution into the Variable(s) blank shown to the
right ( Department).

Figure 6.10 Frequencies Dialog Box

The dialog boxes show both the type of variable and the variable labels if they are
entered. Thus, the variable DEPARTMENT shows up in the dialog box as
DEPARTMENT. Click OK to run the test.

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Figure 6.11 Output Window

The output consists of two sections. The first section indicates the number of records
with valid data for each variable selected. Records with a blank score are listed as
missing. In this example, the data file contained 10 records.

Frequency Distribution and Percentiles Ranks for Multiple

Variables
The Crosstabs produces frequency distributions for multiple variables. Output contains
the number of occurrences of every combination of levels of each variable. It is likely
to have the command give percentages for any or all variables. Crosstabs command
is useful for describing samples where the mean is not useful. It is also convenient as
a method for getting a sense for your data.

Because the output encompasses a column or a row for every value of a variable, this
command works best on variables with a relatively small number of values. The SPSS
data file for the crosstabs command requires two or more variables. Those variables
can be of any type.

This example below uses the Practice Exercise 1. To run the procedure, select and
click Analyze menu, then choose Descriptive Statistics , then click Crosstabs . This
will shows the main Crosstabs dialog, box which is shown below.

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Figure 6.12 Crosstabs Dialog Box

The Crosstab dialog box initially lists all variables on the left and contains two blank
boxes labeled Row(s) and Column(s). Enter one variable (STATUS) in the Row(s)
box. Enter the second (WORK) in the Column(s) box.

Figure 6.13 Cell Display Dialog Box

The cells button lets you stipulate percentages and other information to be made for
each combination of values. Select and click Cells, and you will get the box shown
above, with Observed and Round cell counts selected by default. In this example,

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check Percentage Row, Column, and Total. Then select and click Continue. This will
display the Crosstabs dialog box. Then click OK to run the analysis.

Each cell contains the number of participants (for example, one part-time participant
received passing grade; four fulltime participants received pass passing grade).
While, three part-time participants and two full time participants have failed The
percentages for each cell are also shown. Row percentages add up to 100%
horizontally. Column percentages add up to 100% vertically. The output consists of a
contingency table. Each level of WORK is given a column. Each level of STATUS is
given a row. In addition, a row is added for total, and a column is added for total.

Measures of Central Tendency and Measures of Dispersion

for a Single Group
Measures of central tendency are values that signify a typical member of the sample
or population. The 3 primary types of measures are the following: mean, median,
and mode . While, measures of dispersion convey you the unpredictability of your
scores. The main types are the range and the standard deviation. Together, a measure
of central tendency and a measure of dispersion provide a great deal of information
about the entire dataset.

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Figure 6.14 Frequencies:Statistics Dialog Box

Each measure of central tendency and measure of dispersion has different

assumptions associated with it. Mean is the most effective and useful measure of
central tendency, and it has the best assumptions. Median requires at least ordinal
data, because the median specifies only the middle score, there are no assumptions
about the shape of the distribution. While the Mode is the weakest measure of central
tendency. There are no assumptions for the mode.

Standard deviation is the best powerful measure of dispersion. Standard deviation is

a mathematical transformation of the variance (the standard deviation is the square
root of the variance). Thus, if one is appropriate, the other is also appropriate. The
standard deviation requires data measured on an interval or ratio scale. In addition,
the distribution should be normal. The range is the weakest measure of dispersion. To
calculate a range, the variable must be at least ordinal. For nominal scale data, the
entire frequency distribution should be presented as a measure of dispersion. On the
other hand, a measure of central tendency should be accompanied by a measure of
dispersion. Thus, when reporting a mean, you should also report a standard deviation.
When presenting a median, you should also state the range or interquartile range. The
interquartile range can be determined using the Frequencies command (Cronk, 2018).

For example, select and click on Analyze menu, then click on Descriptive Statistics,
then choose Descriptives. This will bring up the main dialog box for the Descriptives
command. Any variables you would like information about can be placed in the right
blank by double-clicking them or by selecting them and then clicking on the arrow.
Move the variable GRADE to the right for this example.

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Figure 6.15 Descriptive Dialog Box

In this example, you will receive the N (number of cases/participants), the minimum
and the maximum value, the mean, and the standard deviation.

If you would like to change the default statistics that are given, click Options in the
main dialog box . You will be given the Options dialog box shown below. Click
Continue or Cancel to close the Options box. Then click OK .

Figure 6.16 Descriptive: Options Dialog Box

The output for the Descriptives command is shown below. For every type of output is
presented in a column, and each variable is given in a row. The example below shows

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that we have one variable (GRADE) and that we obtained the N, minimum, maximum,
mean, and standard deviation for this variable.

Figure 6.17 Output for the Descriptive Command

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LESSON 3:
GRAPHING DATA

OBJECTIVES:

LESSON 2:After completing the lesson, you should be able to:

 Apply graphing data

APPLICATION LETTER
 Demonstrate how to create graph using graph builder.

 Demonstrate techniques in deriving Insights from a Mess of

Data.

Duration: 5 Hours

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Graphing Data
In addition to the frequency distributions, and measures of central tendency, graphing
is a useful way to summarize, organize, and reduce your data. With SPSS, it is
possible to make publication-quality graphs. One important advantage of using SPSS
to create your graphs instead of using other software (e.g., Excel) is that the data have
already been entered. Thus, duplication is eliminated, and the chance of making a
transcription error is reduced (Cronk, 2018).

In this graphing example, use a new set of data. Input the data that follow by defining
the three subject variables in the Variable View window: HEIGHT (in inches), WEIGHT
(in pounds), and SEX (1 = male, 2 = female). When you do the variables, designate
HEIGHT and WEIGHT as Scale measures and SEX as a Nominal measure. Switch
to the Data View to enter the data values for the 16 participants. Now use the Save As
command to save the file, naming it Height.sav.

Table 6.1 Sample Database

It is important that you have entered the data correctly by calculating a mean for each
of the three variables (click Analyze menu, then select and click Descriptive Statistics
, then choose or click Descriptives). Compare your results with those in the table
below.

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Frequencies command will present graphical frequency distributions. To do this, Click

on Analyze menu, then select Descriptive Statistics, then choose Frequencies. You
will be presented with the main dialog box for the Frequencies command, where you
can enter the variables for which you would like to create graphs or charts (HEIGHT
in this example)

Figure 6. 18 Frequencies Dialog Box

Click the Charts button on the right side of the frequencies command to bring up the
Charts dialog box .

Figure 6.19 Frequencies Chart Dialog Box

There are three (3) types of charts available with this command: Bar charts , Pie
charts, and Histograms . For each type, the Y-axis can be either a frequency count or
a percentage (selected with the Chart Values option).

Select Bar charts and click Continue. Next, click OK. It will display the charts for any
variables selected in the main Frequencies command dialog box .
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Sample Output

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Using Chart Builder

Make sure that the HEIGHT.sav data file you created is open in order to use the
chart builder.

Figure 6.20 Graphs Menu

In this sample, the Chart Builder command is retrieved using graphs, then choose
Chart Builder in the submenu. This is a very flexible command that can create a variety
of graphs of excellent quality. When you first run the Chart Builder command, you will
probably be presented with the following dialog box :

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Figure 6. 21 Chart Builder Dialog Box

This dialog box is asking you to ensure that your variables are properly defined.

Figure 6.22 Chart Builder Dialog Box

Scatterplots (also called scatter grams or scatter diagrams) show two values for each
case with a spot on the graph. The X -axis represents the value for one variable. The
Y -axis represents the value for the second variable.

In Gallery Choose from select Scatter/Dot. Then drag the Simple Scatter icon (top-left)
up to the main chart area as shown in the screenshot below. Disregard the Element
Properties window that pops up by choosing Close at the bottom of that window.

Next, drag the HEIGHT variable to the X-Axis area, and drag the WEIGHT variable to
the Y-Axis area. (Remember that standard graphing conventions indicate that
dependent variables should be Y and independent variables should be X . This would
mean that we are trying to predict weights from heights.)

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Output

How to Derive Insights from a Mess of Data

Source: Benedict, J. (2018). How to derive insights from a mess of data. Retrieved from
https://www.brightwave.com/how-to-derive-insights-from-a-mess-of-data/ dated August 18,
2020.

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Step 1: Clean the Data

First and foremost, all newly collected data needs to be cleaned. This means that there
should be no missing values, no duplicates records and that everything is in the same
format. For example, all states should be stated in the same notation. Rather than
having one record say ‘Georgia’ and another say ‘GA’ and yet another say ‘G.A.’ all
should be changed to one common format. The consistency, continuity, and clarity of
the data hugely impacts the resulting marketing strategies (Benedict, 2018).
Step 2: Find Relationships and Trends
Once the data is prepared, we begin to manipulate it to find new insights. The simplest
way to find relationships between data points is to display the data in different ways.
Plotting two variables against one another is an easy graphical representation to find
trends, groups, and outliers. Graphs can also show month over month data changes.
Tables are another visual way to sort the data for deeper understanding. Among other
functions, these tables can be sorted to find the largest or smallest value very quickly
(Benedict, 2018).
Step 3: Calculate Statistics
After using graphs and tables, formulating descriptive statistics is the next step in data
understanding. Statistic metrics such as the mean, median, and mode, as well as the
range and standard deviation, can be useful in understanding the data set. These
numbers give a benchmark against which you can compare new data points. For
example, If we know that the mean open rate is 25% and our most recent mailing had
a 35% open rate, we know that something about the most recent email was more
interesting to customers (Benedict, 2018).
Step 4: Build Advanced Analytics Models
Finally, we run more advanced analytic tools on the data. These tools can include
regression, clustering, decision trees, and many more data mining algorithms. With
more advanced models, the data becomes much more powerful. These tools are the
first step towards machine learning which makes the analysis of the data even easier
(Benedict, 2018).
Step 5: Repeat!
Of course, the data collection and processing is an iterative process that doesn’t end
after a specific point. There are always new models to run, new observations to find,
and new strategies to form. Every time you receive new data from your marketing
efforts is an opportunity to gain new insights and make new improvements to your next
campaign (Benedict, 2018).

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INTERVIEW
LESSON 4:

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