<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Public Health Nutrition</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">:12 (9), 1581–1583 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">How to stop public health conferences </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">becoming trade fairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The 12th World Congress on Public Health, recently held in Istanbul, dedicated many of its sessions to ethics and the right to health. Faultless theory and socially responsible statements, set out and declared in Istanbul, were accompanied by corporate sponsorship which we see as inappropriate, and sessions that were in conflict with the interests of public health. This commentary reflects the inappropriate corporate influence on public health teaching, research and practice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Soft soap and commercial formulas</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As participants at the Congress, and as public health professionals, we were surprised to find in our congress bags, gifts in the form of free products and promotional material from transnational corporate sponsors. These were Pfizer, Nestle´ and Colgate-Palmolive. More disturbingly, we found that sessions in the scientific programme were being advertised by corporate flyers. One was on ‘Personal hygiene and health’. This, promoted by Colgate-Palmolive, was on oral health and hand-washing, linked with Colgate toothpaste and Protex hand soap. Another was on ‘Diet, physical activity and health: national implementation of the global strategy’. This promoted a talk by, among others, Nestle´’s Vice-President of Public Affairs, who in the event displayed some of his company’s product lines and corporate practices. Nowhere in the official programme were these industry sponsored sessions differentiated from the true scientific sessions of the Congress. This breaching of the boundary between commerce and science was widened by the evident lack of any requirement for the Congress as a whole, or for speakers and panelists on the corporate-sponsored sessions, to declare any conflicts of interests or affiliations with the sponsors. This information was not and has not been disclosed, even after direct requests made during the session that included the Nestle´ presentation. These practices, of which the Istanbul Congress is just an example, are clearly a form of corporate marketing and commercial interest over public policy and have been reported to harm independent scientific research and information (1,2), raising concerns about the ways in which conference organisers</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">and presenters manage conflicts of interest. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Need to protect the public interest</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The practice of corporate sponsorship of scientific events is not new. For example, the forthcoming Congress of the Latin American Society of Nutrition in Santiago(3) and the International Congress on Nutrition in Bangkok(4) are supported by many corporate sponsors. In Istanbul, what we found most unacceptable was the contradiction between the values, principles and goals of the Congress, as stated in its final Istanbul Declaration(5), and the fact that corporations whose profits depend, at least in part, on products and practices that can be problematic or harmful to public health were enabled to promote their policies and products in the guise of good science. During the Congress we respectfully petitioned the WFPHA to undertake the following actions, addressed also to other conference organisers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1.</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Adopt a clear code of ethical conduct on sponsorship.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">2.</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Ensure transparency by providing a detailed description of the financial arrangements with commercial companies and a full declaration of all conflicts of interest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3.</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Promote and encourage a greater reliance on public and private non-for-profit support.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">4.</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Reduce expenditure, by avoiding luxury venues. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The petition, signed by many participants, was handed to the WFPHA President . A letter on the issue and the petition requests has been sent to all WFPHA Board members. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Damage done by transnational corporations</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The damage that the policies and actions of industry, particularly giant transnational corporations, can do to public health worldwide is troublesome. Examples can be found in the field of nutrition (battle over trans fats in processed food, and the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children). In both cases, the food manufacturing industry has energetically opposed government attempts to develop binding rules and regulations. Strategies have included lobbying, court action, sponsored research, and calls for more and more research. These have been and are being used to prevent or delay regulations and to extend the period of maximum profitability – and the duration of adverse health impacts. When pledges and proposals for self-regulation have been made by industries, they have often been disregarded. There is growing evidence of negative impact on public health. In the past decade, lobbying expenditures from the pharmaceutical and food and drink industries have increased dramatically. Advertising and marketing budgets of the largest food and drink companies massively exceed expenditures on health promotion and education. The processed food and drink industries have now systematically penetrated sectors of public life that had previously been spared, including schools. In the pharmaceutical field, companies now finance most clinical research on prescription drugs, with growing evidence and concern over conflicts of interest and biased results. Action needs to be taken to promote and implement binding regulations that protect population rights and public goods.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Health professionals: the time to act is now</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As committed public health professionals, we believe that our profession, as individuals and as members of our representative associations, can make a difference. We should:</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Act even in the absence of international or national regulations in the name of health protection. </span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Reject and counteract corporate strategies that are harmful to health.</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Advocate and monitor regulations, also in partnership with civil society organisations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We propose for public discussion the following actions to be undertaken globally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Act to keep scientific and public health research and conferences free of direct corporate sponsorship and influence:</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Advocate implementation of ethics based codes of conduct on financing and sponsoring by scientific associations and educational institutions.</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Insist to conference organisers and scientific societies that all scientific conferences and meetings that include sponsorship by the private sector provide complete and full disclosure of conflicts of interests.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Take direct action against corporations that cause damage to public health:</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></i></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Avoid the purchase or use of products by corporations known to act against public health, human rights and the equitable governance of public good.</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Report cases of corporate interference in the public health field and of unethical behaviour and policies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Strengthen the capacity of civil society and public institutions to regulate and control the activities of the corporate sector:</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Work for the adoption of international regulations and guidelines, independent monitoring systems and enforceable sanctions.</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Reduce unnecessary expenses (such as luxury venues for congresses).</span></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Support innovative tools and practices aimed to reduce reliance on the private sector and to maintain the independence and reliability of science.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Health professionals and their representative associations should now actively engage in critically analysing and revising the contexts in which they are involved, and the practices they can directly influence, encourage or oppose. Incoherence between socially committed declarations and conventional practices that tend to preserve the status quo is no longer to be tolerated. It needs to be openly challenged in public and scientific debate, and in practice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Adriano Cattaneo, David Legge, David Sanders, Fabio Gomes and Marko Kerak, Chiara Bodini, Ardigo` Martino, David McCoy, Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Denise Nascimento, Camila Giugliani, Waasila Jassat</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p> </p>