Allan Gaw
- MD, PhD
- Worked in clinical research for 30 years.
- Find out more about me and my work at www.allangaw.com and follow my research education and training blog at https://researchet.wordpress.com
Location Scotland
Activity
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Thank you for taking part in the four-week course. Our formal facilitation for this run is now over, but you will still have access to the materials for a further two weeks to allow you to view any modules that you wish to complete, or to revisit any of the sections that you want to look at again.
It has been a pleasure working with you all, and I very...
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Thank you for taking part in the four-week course. Our formal facilitation for this run is now over, but you will still have access to the materials for a further two weeks to allow you to view any modules that you wish to complete, or to revisit any of the sections that you want to look at again.
It has been a pleasure working with you all, and I very...
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Thank you for taking part in the four-week course. Our formal facilitation for this run is now over, but you will still have access to the materials for a further two weeks to allow you to view any modules that you wish to complete, or to revisit any of the sections that you want to look at again.
It has been a pleasure working with you all, and I very...
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Thank you for taking part in the four-week course. Our formal facilitation for this run is now over, but you will still have access to the materials for a further two weeks to allow you to view any modules that you wish to complete, or to revisit any of the sections that you want to look at again.
It has been a pleasure working with you all, and I very...
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Allan Gaw replied to Leeh Faustino
You’re most welcome, Leeh.
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Allan Gaw replied to Leeh Faustino
Welcome to the course, Leeh. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.
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Allan Gaw replied to Urvashi pal
Hello @DrArathiR and welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to Jo-Ann Giovannoni
Hello @CharmaineEstember and welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to MILLICENT OUMA
Thanks for this, Millicent. It’s always useful to see how consent works in different countries.
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Allan Gaw replied to Urvashi pal
Welcome to the course, Urvashi. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Welcome back to week 4 of the course. In this, our final week, we will be focussing in more detail on what becomes of the results of research. In particular, we will be looking at how these results are shared and how they may be reported in the media. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting and informative and, again, I very much look forward...
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It is considered ethical and appropriate for one person to give consent on behalf of another, but of course the specific circumstances and the relationship between the people are important. The law in the UK relating to who, how and when proxy consent in adults is allowed is quite clear when it comes to research involving investigational medicinal products...
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I think your final comment is the key here. Yes, we are eager to use new technologies to facilitate our research but ultimately the acceptability and utility of such approaches will depend on how potential research participants and indeed potential researchers view these. We need to involve everyone in the conversation.
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When we talk of virtual trials we are talking about studies where participants have consented to be part of the study and their follow-up and monitoring is done in a virtual way to save time and money.
The governance of available data sets is one of the biggest issues currently in health related research. There is clearly huge potential is being able to...
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Allan Gaw replied to Theodora Poole
Welcome, Theodora. I hope you find the course interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Besty Levi
Hi Betsy and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Welcome back to week 3 of the course. This time we will be focusing on the ethical aspects of clinical research. We will be looking at how our approach has developed over time and we will focus on the importance of valid informed consent as the foundation of all ethical research. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting and informative and I look...
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Allan Gaw replied to Hania Moiz
Hello Hania and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Kate Hodson
Hi Kate and welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Rachel Elizabeth knight Lozano
@MILLICENTOUMA — Yes, anything we can do to help people feel comfortable and at ease means that they can concentrate on the information we are sharing with them and carefully consider what we are asking of them.
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Allan Gaw replied to Alison Wareham
Welcome to the course, Alison. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw made a comment
A very warm welcome to everyone returning for week 2 of the course. This time we will be looking at some important aspects of good research design, and, as well as thinking about where research might have begun, we will also be looking at where it might be going. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to Madalitso Phiri
Hello Zee and welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful.
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Allan Gaw replied to Florence Apegwine. A
Hello to you too, Florence. Welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful and informative.
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Clinical research is important to me because since studying medicine I have been trying to offer my patients the best healthcare possible. Even now, we still do not understand many diseases and some of the treatments we are able to offer for others are far from perfect. The only way we can improve things is through research. Nothing else works.
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Allan Gaw replied to Abdurahman Ali
Hello and welcome to the course Abdurahman. I hope you find it useful. While the course is free to all, the Future Learn model only offers certificates to those who upgrade.
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Yes, such an approach does pose challenges but also presents real opportunities. But, as you say, these can be worked out.
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Allan Gaw replied to Carlos Rodriguez
Hello Carlos, and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and informative and that it helps with your career plans.
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Allan Gaw replied to Simran Sanghera
Hi Simran, and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Harshinder Virdee
Hello Harsha and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Dionne Wilkinson
Hi Dionne and welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Evangelina Butti
Hello Evangelina and welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.
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I think that’s an important consideration for all researchers—what will be the impact and the consequences of my research for the future?
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Allan Gaw replied to Jo-Ann Giovannoni
@RachelElizabethknightLozano Welcome to the course—I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Adedoyinsola Sanni
Hi Doyin and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to Ayogu Chidimma Vivian
Welcome to the course, Ayogu. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Mia Burger
Hi Mia and welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful for your studies.
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Welcome to the course, Susana. I hope you find it useful and informative.
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Hello Angela and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Clare-Marie Marsh
Welcome to the course, Clare-Marie. I do hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Good to have you with us, Mary. I hope you find the course interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Jo-Ann Giovannoni
Welcome to the course, Jo-Ann. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.
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Allan Gaw made a comment
A very warm welcome to those joinIng the course for our next mentored run starting on May 24, 2021. Over the next four weeks, my colleagues and I will be available to take part on the discussion boards and to answer any specific questions you might have.
I do hope you enjoy the first week of the course, where we will be looking at what exactly Clinical...
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Allan Gaw replied to Julia Kettler
Good to hear, Julia. Thank you for that feedback.
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Thank you for your feedback, Domenika. Glad to hear you found the course informative and engaging.
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Allan Gaw replied to Lisa SINCLAIR
Hello Lisa and welcome to the course. I do hope you enjoy it and find it useful for your work.
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Allan Gaw replied to mary mealey
Glad to hear your views of the course. Thanks for joining us.
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Welcome to the course Juan Carlos. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Fay Hartley
These antibiotics cannot be administered subcutaneously and nor can many other drugs.
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Allan Gaw replied to mary mealey
Yes, the media and social media in particular are double edged swords. Perhaps it’s not these forms of communication themselves that are of concern but how they are used by certain individuals and groups.
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Indeed there was and Lind was unaware that heating the citrus juice might neutralise it’s active ingredient.
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No the MHRA cannot offer peer review, only those who are experts in a particular field of study can do that. In practice, if say, an NHS R&D Department wishes to know whether a study is scientifically sound and it has not undergone the rigour of peer review elsewhere, they will ask recognised experts in the field to review the protocol and pass comment on it.
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Allan Gaw replied to Jill Davies
Thank you for that feedback, Jill.
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Allan Gaw replied to Noelle Cramp
Welcome to the course, Noelle. I hope you find it meets your needs and that you find it interesting.
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Not just in Germany and not just pre-war. There are plenty of instances of unethical research that we could cite in the UK even in our lifetimes. That’s why it’s so important never to let our ethical standards slip. What is hard fought for can be so easily be reversed.
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Allan Gaw replied to Christina B
@ShaimaaEldeeb Welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Christina B
@CarolRoughley Welcome to the MOOC. I do hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to Raavaniya P
Hello Raavi and welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful and informative.
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Welcome back to week 4 of the course. In this, our final week, we will be focussing in more detail on what becomes of the results of research. In particular, we will be looking at how these results are shared and how they may be reported in the media. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting and informative and, again, I very much look forward...
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I think these are reasonable concerns but I know that lay people often provide some of the most important input of all into a REC’s deliberations. Perhaps some of our other learners who are lay members of a REC might want to comment.
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Allan Gaw replied to Humairah Sheik Aboo
Hello Humairah and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Issimatou SADOU
Hello Issimatou and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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For many rare genetic diseases, the children do not survive to adulthood. The only way to improve the quality and quantity of their lives is to study the children with the disease.
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That’s a whole other story and as you rightly suggest is an ethical dilemma. Is it more disrespectful to discard any useful research findings gathered by such unethical means, than to honour that suffering by at least trying to use it to help others? There is no answer to that question and different groups have taken very different stances. One thing worth...
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Allan Gaw replied to Rose Chang
Hi and welcome to the MOOC, Rose. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Fay Hartley
I think to suggest that researchers have no respect for privacy is both unwarranted and unfair. Huge efforts are made at all levels in clinical research to carry out the often sensitive work as respectfully as possible. Undoubtedly there have been individual cases where this has not been the case and these make the headlines, but the vast majority of research...
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If patient data is truly anonymised there should be no key because there should be no way of identifying the information. Within the day to day running of a clinical trial, the patient data are only partially anonymised so that those working with it cannot identify individuals. For example, a patient might be identified by a patient number rather than their...
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The design of the trial is reviewed, but not by a REC. The protocol of the trial should undergo peer review before it can proceed. This will often happen at the funding stage. If not, NHS management review of the study by the R&D Department will seek peer review of the study to satisfy themselves that the study is scientifically sound enough to proceed.
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Allan Gaw replied to Fay Hartley
The laws relating to consent are complex and difficult to interpret in the context of clinical research. This is made even more challenging when we consider that not only are the laws different in different countries, they are also different in different parts of the UK.
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Allan Gaw replied to Fay Hartley
The UK law as it stands does not allow such information to be given back to an individual if they did not consent to the test in question being done. This means that if, for example, a newly developed test for a genetic marker for cancer is performed on a stored sample, the researchers cannot report the results to the subject of that sample. The law is...
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Allan Gaw replied to Jane Byrne
Glad you enjoyed it, Jane.
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There is nothing lowly about being a volunteer, Becca.
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Allan Gaw replied to Anne Dixon
There are very clear laws in the UK and in most other countries governing who can give consent when it comes to studies involving any kind of medication, including vaccines. Failure to follow these laws is not just bad practice, it is a criminal offence. The kind of proxy consent you are describing, is well set out in these laws.
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Allan Gaw replied to Melinda Jane Phillips
@JaneByrne Welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and useful for your role.
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I’m glad to hear that, Anne for that’s exactly the way it should be .
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Allan Gaw made a comment
Welcome back to week 3 of the course. This time we will be focusing on the ethical aspects of clinical research. We will be looking at how our approach has developed over time and we will focus on the importance of valid informed consent as the foundation of all ethical research. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting and informative and I look...
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Thank you, Gina. Glad you found it all interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to michelle W
Good to hear. Thanks for that feedback Michelle.
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Allan Gaw replied to Elaine Wade
@MalgorzataAdamus hello and welcome to the course. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.
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Allan Gaw replied to Geta Maharaj
Hello Geta and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Hassan Yakubu
Hello Hassan and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Indeed, researchers in many other countries, especially the US, see the opportunities offered by having an NHS as invaluable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Hannah Ritter
@JillDavies And he came to a very sad end, dying at 47 straitjacketed in an asylum.
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Allan Gaw replied to Ahmed Daleel
Hi Ahmed and welcome to the course. I hope you find it useful and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to Scott Carter
Welcome to the course, Scott. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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While big drug companies are often cited as the main villains in this, it is worth remembering that most of the research data that is unpublished actually may come from universities and the health services. For lots of reasons, many projects are never completed or, if they are, they are never published. Industry definitely does have a case to answer, but...
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Allan Gaw replied to Eric MUSINGILWA
Hello and welcome to the MOOC, Eric. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Yes, it was indeed filmed in the Thackray Museum.
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Allan Gaw replied to Anneke van de Stege
Hi Anneke and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Glad you’re enjoying the course, Zahid.
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Allan Gaw replied to Dunya Bapir
Hello Dunya and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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In any industry sponsored academic/NHS study, I have never seen an Independent Data Monitoring Committee that was run by the drug company sponsor. As you say, that would not be independent. And while sponsoring companies will routinely have their own statisticians and the right to analyse the data, the academic/NHS study team will always conduct the primary...
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Allan Gaw replied to Fay Hartley
If clinical data is truly anonymised — i.e it is untraceable to an identifiable individual—then the individual’s privacy and confidentiality are protected. If, say, I know a 60 year old male, with raised blood pressure is being prescribed a beta blocker and I know nothing else —no name, no date of birth, no postcode, no NHS number—then that may be important...
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Allan Gaw made a comment
A very warm welcome to everyone returning for week 2 of the course. This time we will be looking at some important aspects of good research design, and, as well as thinking about where research might have begun, we will also be looking at where it might be going. I do hope you find the modules this week interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to Zahra Aridj
Hi Zahra and welcome to the MOOC. I hope you enjoy the course and find it interesting.
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Allan Gaw replied to GLoria obi JAMES
Welcome to the course, Gloria. I hope you find it interesting and informative.
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Hello April and welcome to the course. I hope you find it interesting and enjoyable.
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Allan Gaw replied to Belinda Evboren
Hi Belinda and welcome to the MOOC. Hope you find it useful and informative.
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Allan Gaw replied to kavita gupta
I am glad you are finding the course interesting, Kavita.
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“As the area of light increases, so does the circumference of darkness.”
