PODCAST · health
Diabetic Foot Files
by Diabetic Foot Files
Welcome to the Diabetic Foot Files Podcast—the show where we uncover the real stories, latest research, and essential tips to help prevent diabetic foot complications. I’m Dr. G aka Dr. Gabrielle Hutcheson Donaldson and as a podiatrist and wound care specialist . I’m here to educate, empower, and guide you through the world of diabetic foot care. From wound healing to amputation prevention, we’ll break down the facts, bust the myths, and share life-saving strategies. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this podcast is your go-to resource for healthier feet and a better quality of life. So let’s dive in—because when it comes to diabetes, every step matters!”
Episodes
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Calligraphy with a Scalpel: The Art of Sharp Debridement
Dr. G traces the scalpel's evolution and compares surgical technique to calligraphy while explaining the differences between common blades (10, 11, 15) and why blade choice matters in diabetic foot care. She emphasizes assessing perfusion, infection, anatomy, and pressure before sharp…
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LIMBWatch Series: Oxygen, Wound Healing & The Science of Saving Limbs with Dr. J.B. Shah
LIMBWatch: Oxygen, Wound Healing & The Science of Saving Limbs with Dr. J. B Shah What if a wound that refuses to heal is telling us something we have yet to recognize? In this episode of LIMBWatch, the diabetic foot surveillance series brought to you by Diabetic Foot Files, welcomes Dr. J.B…
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Be a Helper: How Small Acts Save Limbs
Dr. G explores the vital role of helpers in diabetic foot care, sharing stories of negligence and the impact of timely intervention. She emphasizes recognizing wounds early, advocating for patients, and ensuring they access the right specialists. The episode explains how helpers can be anyone —...
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Fasting, Faith, and the Diabetic Foot: Risks and Remedies
Dr. G explores how religious fasting can affect people with diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers, explaining the physiology (glucose, ketones, hydration), the risks to wound healing and infection, and the difference between safe fasting and medical emergencies like DKA or severe dehydration.…
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Path of Least Resistance: The Battle to Save Diabetic Feet
In this episode Dr. G explains how the phrase "path of least resistance" applies to diabetic foot infections and why a small surface ulcer can hide extensive, limb‑threatening disease. He reviews surgical principles (incision, drainage, debridement), vascular assessment, multidisciplinary limb...
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Particularly Peculiar Podiatry Series: Tiny Toe, Huge Threat: Inside Toe Pulp Infections
This episode explains toe pulp (felon) infections and why a tiny wound at the tip of the toe can become a serious problem, especially in people with diabetes and neuropathy. It covers causes (puncture wounds, ingrown nails), anatomy, signs to watch for, imaging, the importance of vascular...
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Restoring the Polarity of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer The Bioelectric Signal That Tells a Wound Where to Heal
Dr. G explores the idea that wounds carry bioelectrical signals that guide cell movement and repair, and that diabetes can disrupt these electrical instructions in diabetic foot ulcers. The episode reviews how researchers measure wound electrical fields, how hyperglycemia may impair them, and...
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Fat to the Rescue: Regenerating Diabetic Feet with Autologous Fat Grafting
Dr. G explores the potential of autologous fat grafting for diabetic foot ulcers, explaining how adipose-derived cells may aid angiogenesis, modulate inflammation, and restore soft-tissue padding to improve healing and reduce recurrence. The episode outlines biological mechanisms, procedural...
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LIMBWatch Series- Jonathan Brocklehurst- Grandpa, Where Are Your Shoes? — The Question That Can Save Feet
Episode Summary Where Are Your Shoes? Turning Family Conversations Into Diabetic Foot Surveillance | LIMBWatch with Jonathan Brocklehurst In this episode of LIMBWatch, Dr. Gabrielle Hutcheson Donaldson sits down with Jonathan Brocklehurst MSc, MIRL, MRCPod, HCPC Registered Podiatrist, wound-care...
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Pinch Grafting: Tiny Skin, Big Impact on Diabetic Foot Wounds
In this episode Dr. G explains pinch grafting — a simple autologous technique that places tiny pieces of a patient’s own skin onto a prepared wound bed to create epithelial “islands” that promote closure. She covers the history of the Reverden graft, the biology of graft take (plasmatic…
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10 Habits Every Person with Diabetes Needs
This episode of Diabetic Foot Files shares ten practical habits to prevent serious foot problems and limb loss in people with diabetes. The host emphasizes vascular assessment as the top priority and walks through daily foot checks, never ignoring small wounds, checking shoes, wearing proper...
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Silent Signals: Thirst, Fatigue, and the Diabetes You Didn’t Know You Had
Dr. G explains how type 2 diabetes can develop quietly and describes common but often overlooked early signs — persistent thirst and urination, fatigue, blurry vision, recurrent infections, slow-healing cuts, numbness in the feet, increased hunger, and unexplained weight loss. The episode also...
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When Clinical Inertia Sinks Diabetic Foot Care
Dr. G uses the giraffe-in-quicksand metaphor to show how clinical inertia and tunnel vision quietly worsen diabetic foot ulcers. Clinical inertia isn't doing nothing—it’s doing too little: repeating dressings, documenting instead of investigating, or delaying referrals. She outlines four types of...
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Who Deserves It and Who Needs It- Denied, Delayed, or Dismissed: Medical Necessity, Prior Auth, and Equity in Diabetic Foot Treatment
In this episode Dr. G explains how medical necessity and insurance rules affect diabetic foot care, limb salvage, and amputation prevention. You’ll learn what "medically necessary" really means, how prior authorization and denials work, what to include in an appeal or medical necessity letter…
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Saving the Limb: How PICC Lines Fit into Diabetic Foot Treatment
This episode explains what a PICC line is (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter), how it delivers prolonged antibiotics, and why it is not automatically required for every diabetic foot infection. Dr. G covers when a PICC makes sense, the importance of source control and multidisciplinary care,...
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Forgotten Infection Friday: The Hidden Danger of Pyomyositis
Dr. G discusses pyomyositis — a deep skeletal muscle infection that can occur in people with diabetes, how it differs from cellulitis, its stages, common causes, typical pathogens, diagnostic steps including MRI and labs, and the importance of source control, imaging, and vascular assessment. Key...
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Pyroptosis: The Loud Cell Death Fueling Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Dr. G explains pyroptosis — an inflammatory form of programmed cell death driven by inflammasomes, caspase‑1, and gasdermin D — and how its pore‑forming, cytokine‑releasing shutdown can amplify inflammation. The episode explores how pyroptosis affects keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and macrophages…
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NPO Explained: What ‘Nothing by Mouth’ Means for People with Diabetes
This episode explains what NPO (nil per os) means, why clinicians use it to reduce aspiration risk during anesthesia or procedures, and why it’s more complex for people with diabetes. Key points include glucose monitoring every 2–4 hours, tailored insulin and medication plans, risks from...
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PECULIAR PODIATRY Series : #001- The Case of the Purple Toe
Dr. G introduces Peculiar Podiatry with a deep dive into the "purple toe"—a visual clue that can mean anything from a simple bruise to dangerous arterial or venous problems, infection, or neuropathy, especially in people with diabetes. This episode explains how to evaluate timing, pain, pulses,...
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Fight Fire with Fire: Capsaicin for Diabetic Foot Pain
Dr. G explores how capsaicin, the active compound in chili peppers, can reduce burning neuropathic pain by overactivating and desensitizing pain-sensing nerves. The episode explains that capsaicin is not a cure for diabetic neuropathy or a treatment for ulcers, notes differences between low‑dose...
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Prediabetes: The Silent Signal You Can Change
Prediabtes isn’t “ Almost Diabetes” . This episode explains how type 2 diabetes often begins years before diagnosis as prediabetes — a compensatory metabolic state where insulin resistance, pancreatic stress, liver overproduction of glucose, and visceral fat-driven inflammation quietly disrupt...
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When the Limb Changes: A Deep Dive into Stump Shrinkage
This episode explains what "stump shrinkage" really means—residual limb volume changes, edema, tissue remodeling, and how different amputation levels affect function and prosthetic fitting. It outlines practical management steps: compression and dressing strategies, wound and vascular monitoring,...
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Why Diabetic Foot Ulcers Can’t Finish the Job: The Microbial Clearance Problem
This episode explores why some diabetic foot ulcers remain inflamed yet fail to clear microbes, distinguishing contamination, colonization, local infection, and clinical infection. It explains how immune dysregulation, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), macrophage dysfunction, biofilm,...
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Great Expectations in DFU: Micro Wins Matter: Motivation, Expectations, and Mental Health in Diabetic Wound Care
Dr. G discusses realistic expectations for diabetic foot ulcer healing, explaining the medical factors that affect recovery—blood flow, infection control, offloading, nutrition, and time—and why instant results are unlikely. She contrasts routine wound healing with the emotional and practical...
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Why You Can't Just Glue a Diabetic Foot Ulcer Closed
In this episode Dr. G explains why tissue adhesives like cyanoacrylates (e.g., Dermabond) work well for clean, superficial, low‑tension wounds but are inappropriate for diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic ulcers involve neuropathy, poor perfusion, infection risk, dead space, undermining and impaired...
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Dead Space in the Diabetic Foot: The Hidden Cavity That Stops Healing
Dr. G explains what dead space is — a residual tissue cavity after tissue loss or separation in the diabetic foot — why it matters, and how it differs from abscesses, undermining, and tunneling. He outlines how to recognize dead space (probing, persistent drainage, imaging), its impact on…
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TEWL Reveals Hidden Risk of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Recurrence
Dr. G explains transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and why a clinically closed diabetic foot ulcer can still have a compromised skin barrier. He outlines how TEWL reflects epidermal function, how diabetes and neuropathy impair skin recovery, and why “functional closure” differs from simple...
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What a 1 mm Worm Can Teach Us About Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Dr. G explores how the tiny nematode C. elegans helps researchers study key processes related to diabetic foot ulcers, including wound detection, calcium signaling, cytoskeletal remodeling, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, innate immune responses, and bacterial virulence. While the worm...
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Forgotten Infection Friday: The Case of Erysipelothrix
This episode explains Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, an animal-associated bacterium that can enter through minor skin breaks—often from fish, meat, or livestock exposure—and cause a localized lesion called erysipeloid. It highlights diagnostic traps in diabetic foot care, the importance of...
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When a Toe Is More Than Tissue: The Ethics of Diabetic Foot Consent
Dr. G explains why informed consent in diabetic foot care is more than paperwork: it’s a time-sensitive conversation about capacity, risks, alternatives, and what happens if treatment is delayed. The episode covers capacity versus competency, surrogate and physician consent in emergencies, the...
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Applying Newton’s Laws to Diabetic Foot Ulcers
In this episode Dr. G explains how Newton’s laws of motion illuminate why some diabetic foot ulcers heal and others recur. He connects concepts like force, pressure, shear, and ground reaction forces to real-world biomechanics, footwear, and offloading strategies. The episode focuses on practical...
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LIMBWatch Series: Dr. Jared Adams MD,PhD : Your Story Could Save a Limb: Inside the New Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patient Registry STEADY
Your Story Could Save a Limb: Inside the New Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patient Registry What if the most important piece of diabetic foot ulcer research isn’t another clinical endpoint—but the patient’s story? In this special episode of LIMBWatch, Dr. G sits down with Dr. Jared Adams, Senior Vice...
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LIMBWatch Series: Dr. Sukoff, Dr. Hanley & Dr. Warren - LIMBWatch: From Chronic Wound to Limb Preservation — The Science Behind Lavior
Episode Summary In this episode of LIMBWatch, we go beyond the wound itself to explore the science, clinical challenges, and innovations shaping the future of limb preservation. We are joined by the team behind Lavior, including biomedical scientist and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. David Warren,...
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Copper: A Surprising Possible Ally in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Healing
In this episode of Diabetic Fit Files Dr. G explores how the trace element copper affects diabetic foot ulcers at the cellular and molecular level. Topics include copper's roles in angiogenesis, collagen cross-linking via lysyl oxidase, fibroblast signaling, antimicrobial and anti-biofilm…
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Reflexes, Tuning Forks & Monofilaments: Inside the Diabetic Foot Exam
This episode breaks down the neurological exam of the diabetic foot, explaining reflexes, vibration testing, monofilament assessment, proprioception, pinprick and temperature testing, and the autonomic changes that lead to dry skin and fissures. It shows how different nerve fibers produce...
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“I Have a Diabetic Foot Ulcer… But I Don’t Have Insurance. Now What?”
This episode explains what to do if you have a diabetic foot ulcer and no health insurance, stressing that you should not ignore the wound or try to self-treat. It covers signs of infection, the need for vascular checks and offloading, and when to seek emergency care. It also outlines practical...
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SMAPs: Rethinking Antimicrobials for Diabetic Foot Care
This episode explores SMAPs — synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides — and how they use membrane-targeting chemistry to kill bacteria differently from conventional antibiotics. It covers the science behind facial amphiphilicity, selectivity versus toxicity, challenges like biofilms and...
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LIMBWatch Series: Dr. Shilpa Rajan Mulki- Look at Your Feet Before You Sleep: Saving Limbs in Resource-Limited Settings
🎙️ Diabetic Foot Files: Limb Watch with Dr. Shilpa Rajan Mulki What if some amputations could be prevented simply by recognizing the warning signs sooner? In this episode of Diabetic Foot Files: Limb Watch, Dr. Gabrielle sits down with Dr. Shilpa Rajan Mulki, a diabetologist and diabetic foot…
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The Toe That Killed Jack Daniel: The Untold Medical Story
A man who built a global whiskey empire may have been felled not by drink or duel but by a small foot injury that turned infected. This episode examines the legend of Jack Daniel’s toe, the historical accounts of gangrene and “blood poisoning,” and what modern medicine would call sepsis. Beyond…
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Understanding Undermining- Unseen, unexpected and unforgiving : The Truth Behind “Doctor Made My Wound Bigger” — Understanding Undermining
This episode explains undermining in diabetic foot ulcers—how tissue destruction can extend beneath intact skin, why wounds may appear larger after debridement, and what that means for healing. We cover the causes (pressure, neuropathy, ischemia, infection), clinical clues, why proper assessment...
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Teeth in the Tide- When the Ocean Bites: Barracuda Strike and Diabetic Foot Danger
In this episode Dr. G recounts a surprising barracuda bite that exposes the challenges of marine injuries, especially for people with diabetes. The episode explains how sharp lacerations, contamination from seawater, retained debris, and organisms like Vibrio can turn a beach wound into a serious...
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Forgotten Infection Friday- Madura Foot: The Silent, Years-Long Infection Hiding in Plain Sight
This episode reviews Madura foot (mycetoma), a chronic implantation infection characterized by long-standing swelling, multiple sinus tracts, and visible ‘‘grains.’p> There are two main types — eumycetoma (fungal) and actinomycetoma (bacterial) — with different treatments (antifungals ± surgery…
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LIMBWatch Series: Dr. Andrew JM Boulton, MD, DSc (Hon), FACP, FICP, FRCP-The Man Who Changed Diabetic Foot Care Dr. Andrew Boulton on Neuropathy, Prevention & Saving Limbs Worldwide
Welcome to LIMBWatch — the global movement dedicated to protecting limbs, preventing amputations, and transforming the future of diabetic foot care. In this landmark episode, we welcome one of the world’s most influential leaders in diabetes and diabetic foot disease — Dr. Andrew Boulton, a…
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Antimicrobial ≠ Antibiotic: Antimicrobial Doesn’t Mean Antibiotic
This episode clarifies the difference between antimicrobials (agents that act against a range of microorganisms) and antibiotics (drugs that specifically target bacteria), and explains related terms like antiseptics, contamination, colonization, and infection in diabetic foot ulcers. Dr. G…
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Why Your Healed Wound Still Feels Tight — What Causes Tight Skin After Diabetic Foot Wounds
This episode explains why healed wounds can feel tight, covering the stages of wound healing, the role of myofibroblasts and alpha-SMA in wound contraction, and how scar tissue differs from normal skin. It discusses how diabetes alters healing, the long remodeling phase (months to over a year),...
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Forgotten Infection Friday: Rhodococcus equi — The Macrophage‑Hiding Threat
This episode explores Rhodococcus equi — a pink, soil‑associated bacterium historically linked to horses that can survive inside macrophages and mimic tuberculosis in the lungs. Dr. G discusses its discovery, how humans become exposed, diagnostic clues (culture, MALDI‑TOF, PCR), challenges in...
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Diabetic Foot Ulcers Aren’t Paper Cuts: When Triple Antibiotic Is Not Enough
This episode traces the history and science behind triple antibiotic ointment—its three ingredients (bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B), how they attack different bacteria, and why it became a household staple for minor cuts. It explains why diabetic foot ulcers are fundamentally different from...
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LIMBWatch Series: Dr. Thomas Hardiman- 10-Gram Truth: How a Simple Monofilament Saves Feet
Episode Title: The 10-Gram Test That Can Save a Limb: Understanding Monofilament Screening, Neuropathy & Prevention with Dr. Thomas Hardiman Episode Summary: What if one of the simplest tools in diabetic foot care could help prevent devastating complications before they happen? In this powerful...
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The evolutionary purpose of diabetic neuropathy & Why Our Alarm System Fails in the Modern World and How The Healthcare System becomes that External Warning System for the Patient
This episode explores why pain evolved as a critical protective alarm and how diabetes—through chronic high glucose, inflammation, and microvascular damage—silences that alarm by injuring peripheral nerves. It explains the biological pathways behind diabetic neuropathy, why the feet are…
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Gossypiboma: The Hidden Sponge Sabotaging Wound Healing
This episode explains gossypiboma (retained surgical sponge), how the body mounts a foreign‑body granuloma response, and why these sponges can mimic infection or tumors and lead to chronic inflammation. It highlights the added danger for people with diabetes (impaired immunity, poor circulation,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the Diabetic Foot Files Podcast—the show where we uncover the real stories, latest research, and essential tips to help prevent diabetic foot complications. I’m Dr. G aka Dr. Gabrielle Hutcheson Donaldson and as a podiatrist and wound care specialist . I’m here to educate, empower, and guide you through the world of diabetic foot care. From wound healing to amputation prevention, we’ll break down the facts, bust the myths, and share life-saving strategies. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this podcast is your go-to resource for healthier feet and a better quality of life. So let’s dive in—because when it comes to diabetes, every step matters!”
HOSTED BY
Diabetic Foot Files
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Diabetic Foot Files have?
Diabetic Foot Files currently has 398 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Diabetic Foot Files about?
Welcome to the Diabetic Foot Files Podcast—the show where we uncover the real stories, latest research, and essential tips to help prevent diabetic foot complications. I’m Dr. G aka Dr. Gabrielle Hutcheson Donaldson and as a podiatrist and wound care specialist . I’m here to educate, empower, and...
How often does Diabetic Foot Files release new episodes?
Diabetic Foot Files publishes regularly with 398 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Diabetic Foot Files?
You can listen to Diabetic Foot Files on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Diabetic Foot Files?
Diabetic Foot Files is created and hosted by Diabetic Foot Files.
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