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With $2.4 billion in member assets, the Guaranteed Investment is kind of a big deal.
Effective January 1, 2023, the Prudential Guaranteed Investment was renamed to the Guaranteed Stable Investment. The Prudential Retirement Insurance & Annuity Company (PRIAC) was purchased by Empower Annuity Insurance Company (EIC). Any reference to PRIAC should be replaced with EIC. Any reference to Prudential should be replaced by Empower.
In 1978, the WEA TSA Trust rolled out a Guaranteed Investment account to Wisconsin public school employees as its first 403(b) investment opportunity. Today, approximately 46,000 participants have nearly $2.4 billion worth of assets in the account currently held and managed by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC).
It's kind of a big deal.
Just as Member Benefits monitors our mutual fund investments to make sure they continue to meet our standards, we also monitor the Guaranteed Investment and evaluate PRIAC in their role as manager of the account to ensure the best interests of our participants are being served.
Experts on board
Helping with the due diligence process are Mike Driscoll and Jim King. Both have a vast amount of knowledge in the financial industry as well as personal work experience with the Guaranteed Investment.
Mike, now a consultant, has worked with retirement plans for over 30 years. "In 1987, I worked at CIGNA and was involved when the assets in the Guaranteed Investment were moved to CIGNA from UNUM."
As Mike indicates, the guaranteed account has not always been with PRIAC. PRIAC actually inherited the account after they purchased the CIGNA retirement business in 2004. Member Benefits has been with PRIAC ever since.
Jim spent 17 years in portfolio management with Merrill Lynch, including stable value (SV) funds (which is essentially what the Guaranteed Investment account is.) He then spent 15 years with PRIAC specializing in SV funds before starting his own SV consulting company. "At PRIAC, I was partly responsible for the relationship with Member Benefits and managed the Guaranteed Investment for over five years, so I know the fund very well. It's one of the best stable value funds in the country," he says.
Doing our due diligence
Member Benefits is currently evaluating the Guaranteed Investment. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was drafted and sent to over 30 companies to see what options were available. In the end, seven companies expressed interest and five gave a formal response. Those five responses are currently under consideration.
The RFP will help us determine if the program as offered today is still competitive in the marketplace. Member Benefits will be looking at firms that can provide a similar program and evaluating their interest rates, fees for service, and the types of portfolios they invest in. We will also do our normal due diligence, including financial strength ratings. In the end, we'll want to answer this core question: What is in the best interest of our members?
One thing is clear: The Guaranteed Investment is one of a kind. Its uniqueness started at its inception with the philosophy on which the program was built.
When the account was moved to CIGNA, Mike recalls, "There was a strong belief that the money in the Guaranteed Investment Account was to be protected. The creation of the WEA TSA Trust 403(b) program wasn't meant for people to chase equity market returns. This was for safe keeping. And that's why only the Guaranteed Investment was offered in the beginning, and members were not offered an equity fund option early on."
The founders of our 403(b) program felt the best way for members to get to retirement and have enough saved to support themselves was by putting their money in a safe place, earning a reasonable rate of return, and having a guarantee against loss. Those three things were important then and they remain a priority for Member Benefits today.
A long legacy
"There are many competitors in the marketplace that have been trying to figure out how Member Benefits has been able to be so successful with this program and offer the guarantee and low fees. It's because this legacy product has worked really, really well for members over time and it has been impossible for anyone to duplicate," says Jim.
What makes it so difficult to copy? In part, the success of this program was the timing of when it came together. In 1978, the economy looked very different. Interest and inflation rates were on the rise—both were north of 12%—and, according to Mike, the timing couldn't have been better to establish a SV fund. "The high interest rates and inflation rates at that time turned out to be a real plus, creating a big tailwind of higher returns supporting the program while the interest rate markets steadily declined over the following 30 years. This is one of the main reasons why other organizations can't replicate it."
Mike goes on to explain that the tailwind was created by CIGNA/PRIAC making loans and buying bonds—5-, 10-, 20-year loans or bonds—at 10% or more. "These long-term investments continued to pay back at the high rate over however many years, even as interest rates in general fell. This allowed the credited rates in the Guaranteed Investment Account to remain higher for a longer period of time, and members were rewarded with higher than current market returns."
However, while the rate was slow to come down and meet the market, rates are also slow to rise when the market goes up. "Stable value funds lag the market, regardless of which direction the market is going," he adds.
"It's one of the most seasoned funds in the country." — Jim King
The Guarantee is the key
A SV fund is comprised of two parts: 1) a portfolio, and 2) a guarantee. The guarantee is on the participant's principal and net credited interest. In other words, investors will never receive less than what they have contributed plus the accumulated interest credited on those contributions, even though the price of the underlying securities (the bonds and funds in the investment) may go down.
The value of SV funds proved out during the 2008 financial crisis when the stock market tanked. Portfolios that held SV fund investments fared better because of the guarantee. "A stable value fund serves as an anchor," says Jim. "In a volatile market, it maintains its value and is a buffer for the entire portfolio. Because the Guaranteed Investment has been around since 1978, it's one of the most seasoned funds in the country."
The rising cost of a guarantee
To ensure the safety of participant assets, PRIAC is required to hold reserves equal to the assets in the Guaranteed Investment. Jim explains that while the guarantee of SV funds worked as intended in the 2008 crisis, the fact that bond prices decreased significantly put SV managers at a greater risk for loss because the guarantee became much more expensive. "In fact, the price of guarantees in the marketplace almost tripled," he says.
The increased cost of the guarantee presents a special challenge for PRIAC and the Guaranteed Investment.
Mike adds that since the crisis, actuaries and regulators have taken more of a microscopic look at the risks of SV from the guarantor side. The Financial Stability Oversight Council created by the Feds under Dodd-Frank developed the Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI) designation to label companies whose collapse would pose a serious risk to the economy. This is the "too big to fail" list.
In 2013, PRIAC was one of four non-bank companies put on the SIFI list. SIFIs abide by "enhanced" rules that are tougher than the ones that apply to their smaller, less-complex peers. Higher capital requirements effectively limit how much SIFIs can borrow, and can crimp profitability. Defenders of the SIFI process say those stricter regulations are justified because SIFIs pose an outsized risk to the stability of the broader economy.
"For PRIAC, this status is costly and forcing change. The Guaranteed Investment will likely not be immune to these changes," says Jim.
Diversifying could help
According to Jim, the sheer size of the fund increases the risk for PRIAC, as well as for members.
Why? With PRIAC, there is a single provider of the guarantee. Essentially, we have all our $2.4 billion SV fund eggs in one basket. It's been this way for 39 years.
However, every fund evaluation poses this question: Is this prudent? In 2012, we examined PRIAC's products, fees, services, financial strength, financial position, and client management among other things, and compared them to those of other major stable value providers. Mike was a member of the evaluation team, and says the answer to that question in 2012 was yes. "We concluded the relationship with PRIAC was still in the best interest of members. They were still strong and stable and the program continued to be better than anything else available, even with contract changes imposed by PRIAC at the time."
The evaluation in progress will again have to answer these questions: Is PRIAC the best partner today? Should we continue with a single creditor program, or do we need to start to look at diversifying—spreading the account and the risk to one or more additional firms? If doing so would strengthen the guarantee, that would definitely be a plus.
The Prudential Guaranteed Investment account is a long-term savings vehicle that assumes the role of a fixed income or bond investment in your asset allocation mix. Learn more.
Vetting potential partners
"We use ratings issued by Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and Fitch," explains Mike. "Moody's rates PRIAC as A1, the fifth highest of 10 investment grade ratings. That's a good rating, but there are ratings above that, like Aa and Aaa. Some of the interested companies who responded to the RFP are Aaa, which indicates that they are in a slightly stronger financial position today than PRIAC." Financial strength is a must, but there are other critical considerations as mentioned earlier.
Regardless of who we decide to partner with, at the end of the day, it's important that members know we have done everything we can to choose a strong financial institution(s) to honor the guarantee.
After nearly 30 years of declining interest rates, we are in an economic environment in which rates are expected to rise. "In fact," Jim says, "this last week (June 14, 2017), the Federal Reserve announced a quarter-point interest rate hike." Interest rate changes are among the most significant factors affecting bond return. When interest rates rise—bond prices generally fall. And that puts the SV fund managers at higher risk to sustain losses.
"In regard to the Guaranteed rate," Mike suggests, "members will likely see interest rates in the program fall a little further before stabilizing regardless of what changes come from the evaluation. We will also see the impact from the increased cost of a guarantee.
"Further, members currently have the ability to move money freely in and out of the program, but it would not be unreasonable to expect some parameters set around how much can be moved out of an account in a given year."
Mike explains that the withdrawal parameter may be necessary to protect the account for long-term investment. A large-scale withdrawal from an SV fund could impose a significant adverse impact on all of the remaining investors and potentially result in losses for the SV fund manager.
Most other SV funds do not allow the plans or the participants to immediately receive the book value of the investment, which is contributions plus interest earnings, if the fair market value of the investment is less.
It's Member Benefits' responsibility to protect the members and their investment, as well as ensure the viability of this program for long-term investors in the future.
"This program has good bones." — Member Benefits staff
The Guaranteed Investment may look different after the evaluation is complete and decisions have been made, but both Mike and Jim agree that it will still fulfill the original purpose and be in the best interest of members. That purpose includes:
Safety (low risk).
Earning a reasonable rate.
Having a Guarantee.
As Member Benefits says, this program has good bones. The fact that it was carefully designed for the benefit of our public school employees is precisely why it has succeeded. We've never lost sight of why it was created.
Some things to expect as we move forward include:
The crediting rate may go lower before stabilizing.
Flexibility for moving money may change.
We are working to maintain the unique characteristics of the program that set it apart from other SV funds, including offering a higher level of protection in different economic environments.
We are considering providers that maintain transparency regarding fees and strong financial ratings.
At the end of the day, we want to work with a company or companies that have similar core values to our own and can contribute to the financial security of Wisconsin public school employees. We are working hard to do just that.
Interest is compounded daily to produce the current annual yield prior to the deduction of program administrative fees. Contributions and earnings are held in the general account of Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC). Principal and net credited interest are fully guaranteed by PRIAC. Such guarantees are based solely upon the financial strength and claims-paying ability of PRIAC. For more information go to weabenefits.com/pru.
Mike Driscoll, Managing Director of Sheridan Road
Mike began his institutional retirement plan career in 1980. He spent nearly 17 years with CIGNA Retirement & Investment Services prior to the sale of CIGNA's retirement business to Prudential Financial in 2004. He was also involved with transitioning Guaranteed Investment assets from UNUM to CIGNA from 1987–1988.
Mike has earned and maintains the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation. He is a past President of the Board of Directors of the Greater Milwaukee Employee Benefits Council.
He also has a personal connection to and interest in Wisconsin public schools. "My wife Janet was a teacher. She taught in the Cedarburg School District."
Jim King, Founder and CEO of King Stable Value
Jim serves as general account investment portfolio specialist and spent 15 years with Prudential Financial. For more than five of those years, he managed the Guaranteed Investment for the WEA TSA Trust and WEA Member Benefit Trust. "I know the guaranteed fund very well," he says. "It's one of the best stable value funds in the country."
Jim is also a past Chairman of the Board for the Stable Value Investment Association.
Follow-up articles
Protecting a legacy: The update
Protecting a legacy: Participant level protections


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Vitamin A deficiency and inflammatory markers among preschool children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Maria Maqsood1,
Barbara Dancheck1,
Mary V Gamble2,
Neal A Palafox3,
Michelle O Ricks1,
Kennar Briand4 &
Richard D Semba1
Nutrition Journal volume 3, Article number: 21 (2004) Cite this article
The exclusion of individuals with elevated acute phase proteins has been advocated in order to improve prevalence estimates of vitamin A deficiency in surveys, but it is unclear whether this will lead to sampling bias. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the exclusion of individuals with elevated acute phase proteins is associated with sampling bias and to characterize inflammation in children with night blindness.
In a survey in the Republic of the Marshall Islands involving 281 children, aged 1–5 years, serum retinol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were measured.
Of 281 children, 24 (8.5%) had night blindness and 165 (58.7%) had serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L. Of 248 children with AGP and CRP measurements, 123 (49.6%) had elevated acute phase proteins (CRP >5 mg/L and/or AGP >1000 mg/L). Among children with and without night blindness, the proportion with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L was 79.2% and 56.8% (P = 0.03) and with anemia was 58.3% and 35.7% (P = 0.029), respectively. The proportion of children with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L was 52.0% after excluding children with elevated acute phase proteins. Among children with and without elevated acute phase proteins, mean age was 2.8 vs 3.2 years (P = 0.016), the proportion of boys was 43.1% vs. 54.3% (P = 0.075), with no hospitalizations in the last year was 11.0% vs 23.6% (P = 0.024), and with anemia was 43.8% vs 31.7% (P = 0.05), respectively.
Exclusion of children with inflammation in this survey of vitamin A deficiency does not improve prevalence estimates for vitamin A deficiency and instead leads to sampling bias for variables such as age, gender, anemia, and hospitalization history.
Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among preschool children in developing countries [1]. Vitamin A, or all-trans retinol, is available as preformed vitamin A in foods such as eggs and dairy products and as provitamin A carotenoids in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin, and papaya. Vitamin A is essential for normal immune function, hematopoiesis, growth, and vision [1]. Among preschool children, risk factors for vitamin A deficiency include age, such as the period that follows weaning when vitamin A intake is low and risk of precipitating infections is high [2, 3], recent infections such as diarrheal disease [4], and low socioeconomic status [5]. The syndrome of vitamin A deficiency is characterized by increased susceptibility to infections, anemia, and elevated acute phase proteins [1, 6, 7].
The identification of populations at risk for vitamin A deficiency is important in order to target groups that would benefit from interventions to improve vitamin A status. Xerophthalmia, such as night blindness and Bitot spots, is used to determine the prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency in populations [1]. Other surveys that are conducted to determine whether vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem often rely upon the measurement of serum or plasma retinol concentrations [8]. However, plasma retinol is a negative acute phase reactant that decreases during infections [9], and it has been thought that the measurement of plasma retinol concentrations may not accurately reflect the vitamin A status of populations with a high prevalence of subclinical infections, as some portion of low retinol concentrations may be due to an acute phase response [10]. Recently, Thurnham and colleagues proposed that in surveys that rely upon plasma or serum retinol concentrations to estimate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, one method to improve the accuracy of the prevalence estimates is to exclude all individuals with elevated acute phase proteins [11]. The underlying assumption using this method is that subclinical infection is randomly distributed in a population, and that the exclusion of individuals with elevated acute phase proteins will not lead to sampling bias.
We hypothesized that exclusion of individuals with elevated acute phase proteins, and selection of only apparently healthy children would lead to lead to sampling bias in a survey of vitamin A deficiency. A secondary hypothesis was that children with night blindness would have elevated acute phase proteins. Vitamin A deficiency has been recognized as a major public health problem in many areas of the South Pacific region [12], including the Republic of the Marshall Islands [13, 14]. In order to address these hypotheses, we characterized serum retinol concentrations, night blindness, and markers of inflammation in a population-based survey among preschool children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
A population-based survey, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Vitamin A Deficiency Study, was conducted between November 1994 and March 1995 to assess the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among children, aged 1–5, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (population 68,000) is a complex of 28 coral atolls and 5 small (non-atoll) islands, with a total of 1136 islands spreading over a very small land area of 134 km2. The sampling strategy for the study was based on the 1988 census of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which provided data on the average number of children of the target age group within each household, determined by dividing the number of children in a locality by the number of households in the same location. This number was then divided into the number of children to be sampled to obtain the number of households to be visited. Households to be visited were chosen by systematic sampling of every fifth household. When available, the birth dates of the children were ascertained from the children's health cards; otherwise, the birth dates were obtained by asking the parent or guardian. The survey teams consisted of at least one Marshallese-speaking health care worker, a phlebotomist, and a medical doctor.
Of the children in the survey, a systematic subsample of every fifth child was obtained in which a standardized questionnaire was used to collect information on various risk factors such as night blindness, demographics, breastfeeding, visits to the hospital, presence of a vegetable garden, and food consumption. Parents were asked if the child currently had night blindness. A history of night blindness has been shown to be a reliable indicator of vitamin A deficiency [15]. Oral informed consent was obtained from a parent or guardian prior to participation in the survey as considered appropriate by the institutional review board for this setting.
Blood samples were obtained by venipuncture. Hemoglobin was measured using a HemoCue instrument (HemoCue, Inc., Mission Viejo, CA). Venous blood samples were collected in red-top serum separator tubes and immediately wrapped in aluminum foil, continuously shielded from light, and stored at 4°C until centrifugation (200 g × 10 min, room temperature). Aliquots of serum were made, kept in liquid nitrogen or at -70°C, and shipped by overnight air express from the Republic of the Marshall Islands to New York City. Retinol remains stable at -70°C for 15 y or more [16]. Serum retinol was measured using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, as described elsewhere [13]. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Hemagen Diagnostics, Waltham, MA). Serum α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) was measured using radial immunodiffusion assay (Bindarid, The Binding Site, Birmingham, UK). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was analyzed using a high sensitivity commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (R&D systems, Inc, Minneapolis, MN). Serum retinol, CRP, AGP, and IL-6 values were available for 281, 250, 248, and 176 of 281 pre-school children, respectively. Missing values were due to inadequate volume of sera. Controls provided by the manufacturer were used to measure intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV) in laboratory analysis. For serum retinol, the within-assay and between-assay CVs were 3% and 8%, respectively. For serum CRP, AGP, and IL-6, the within-assay and between-assay CVs were 4.1 and 5.0, 3.9 and 1.6, and 3.2 and 2.9, respectively. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board of the Pacific Health Research Institute of Hawaii and the Ministry of Health and Environment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.
Groups were compared using Student's t-test or analysis of variance for continuous variables where appropriate, and categorical variables were compared using χ2 or exact tests. Vitamin A deficiency was defined as serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L [1]. Inflammation was defined as CRP >5 mg/L and/or AGP >1000 mg/L [6, 7, 11]. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <110 g/L [14]. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test was used on continuous variables in which the distribution was not normal. The proportion of children with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L was "adjusted" using two methods: (1) excluding all children with inflammation and then presenting the proportion of children who had serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L for the remaining children without inflammation, and (2) calculating geometric mean serum retinol concentrations in children with and without inflammation, multiplying the serum retinol concentrations in the group with inflammation by a constant that makes the geometric mean serum retinol in the group with inflammation equivalent to the group without inflammation, and then reporting the proportion of children who had serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L [11]. One sample test of proportions was used to compare proportions of children with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L between "adjusted" and unadjusted groups. Spearman correlation was used to examine correlation between AGP, CRP, IL-6, retinol, and hemoglobin. The level of significance used in this study was P < 0.05.
A total of 919 Marshallese children, age 1–5, participated in the survey, and the systematic subsample of every fifth child involved 281 children from the following atolls (n): Ailuk (16), Arno (26), Enejelar (3), Enewetak (14), Kwajalein (73), Majuro (77), Namu (32), Utrik (25), and Wotje (15). There were 141 boys and 140 girls, and the mean (±standard deviation) age of the children was 2.93 ± 1.38 years. Due to limited sample volume, serum CRP, AGP, and IL-6 were not measured in 31, 33, and 105 pre-school children, respectively. Of the 281 children, there were 24 (8.5%) with night blindness and 165 (58.7%) with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L. Of 248 children who had both AGP and CRP measured, there were 123 (49.6)% with inflammation (CRP >5 mg/L and/or AGP >1000 mg/L).
The characteristics of children with and without inflammation are shown in Table 1. Children with inflammation were older (P = 0.016), were more likely to have been hospitalized in the last year (P = 0.024), and were more likely to be anemic (P = 0.05) compared with children without inflammation. Mean retinol concentration was lower (P = 0.0005) and the proportion of children with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L was higher (P = 0.013) among children with inflammation compared to children without inflammation. The findings suggest that children with inflammation were more likely to be girls (P = 0.075) compared to children without inflammation. There were no significant differences in the proportion with night blindness, the mean number of people living in the house with the child, current breastfeeding status, and the presence of a vegetable garden at home between children with and without inflammation.
Table 1 Relationship between inflammation and demographic characteristics of children, age 1–5 years, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Of the 281 children 58.7% had serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L. In contrast, if children with inflammation are excluded as proposed by Thurnham and colleagues [11], the proportion with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L is 52.0% (Table 1). Alternatively, it has been proposed that serum retinol concentrations are "adjusted using acute phase proteins" based upon retinol values among children with and without inflammation [11]. When this alternative method is used, the proportion of children with serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L is 47% (95% C.I. 0.43–0.60), compared with the unadjusted proportion of 58.7% (P = 0.08).
The characteristics of children with and without night blindness are shown in Table 2. Children with night blindness were slightly older (P = 0.03), had lower serum retinol (P = 0.007), were more likely to have serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L (P = 0.03), and to be anemic (P = 0.029) compared to children without night blindness. The findings were suggestive that there may be a higher proportion of boys than girls who are night blind (P = 0.09), and with lower mean hemoglobin concentrations (P = 0.09). There were no significant differences in geometric mean AGP, CRP, IL-6, or inflammation between children with and without night blindness.
Table 2 Characteristics of children, aged 1–5 years, with and without night blindness in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Spearman correlations of serum AGP, CRP, IL-6, retinol, and hemoglobin are shown in Table 3. Serum AGP was positively correlated with serum IL-6 and CRP (P < 0.0001 for both). Serum AGP and CRP individually were inversely correlated with serum hemoglobin (P < 0.0001) and retinol (P = 0.0004). IL-6 was positively associated with CRP (P < 0.0001), and inversely associated with retinol (P < 0.0001). Hemoglobin had low correlation with retinol that was of borderline significance (P = 0.09) and low inverse correlation with IL-6 that was also of borderline significance (P = 0.08).
Table 3 Spearman correlation between AGP, CRP, IL-6, retinol, and hemoglobin in preschool children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
In this population of children from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, more than half had serum retinol concentrations <0.70 μmol/L. According to criteria of the World Health Organization, vitamin A deficiency is considered a public health problem if more than 15% of the population has serum or plasma retinol concentrations <0.70 μmol/L [17]. Vitamin A deficiency is also considered a public health problem if >1% of children less than six years old have night blindness [1], and in this survey, the prevalence of night blindness was more than eight times higher than this criterion. Thus, vitamin A deficiency was certainly a public health problem among children, aged 1–5 years, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Since the time of this survey, the Republic of the Marshall Islands has implemented a countrywide vitamin A capsule distribution program.
Nearly half of the children in this study had inflammation, as indicated by elevated AGP and/or CRP. These findings suggest that the prevalence of subclinical infection is high in this population that has a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. These findings are consistent with the concept that the syndrome of vitamin A deficiency is associated with depressed immunity and increased infections [6, 7]. Children with subclinical vitamin A deficiency may have pathological alterations in T and B cell function and mucosal immunity that make them more susceptible to subclinical infections, such as diarrheal disease [18].
Although the exclusion of individuals with elevated acute phase proteins has been advocated to improve prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in surveys that rely upon plasma or serum retinol concentrations [11], this study shows that exclusion of these individuals leads to sampling bias. The remaining subjects in the sample without inflammation are different from those excluded from the sample of the study, as there was selection bias in regard to age, gender, anemia, and morbidity history. Thus, by excluding those with inflammation, the prevalence estimates of vitamin A deficiency are based upon a biased sample that may be healthier. Subclinical infections are more likely to occur among malnourished children and among children from poorer families [19, 20]. Studies among adults suggest that elevated acute phase proteins are more common among those with lower socioeconomic status [21, 22]. The present study is limited in that data on maternal education, socioeconomic status, and other demographic indicators was not collected. Similar analyses could be conducted with other large existing data sets to corroborate and characterize the extent of sampling bias in vitamin A surveys when individuals with elevated acute phase proteins are excluded.
The alternative method of having serum retinol concentrations "adjusted using acute phase proteins" [11] involves the same problem of sampling bias, as the group without inflammation that is used for "adjusting" the serum retinol concentrations of the group with inflammation is different as discussed above.
Children with night blindness had significantly lower serum retinol concentrations compared with children without night blindness, a finding that is consistent with previous studies [6, 7, 15]. The ability to see at night depends on the visual pigment, rhodopsin, in rod photoreceptors of the retina. Synthesis of rhodopsin depends in part upon the availability of circulating retinol. The prevalence of anemia was higher among children with night blindness than children without night blindness. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with anemia, and there may be several mechanisms by which vitamin A deficiency could cause anemia, including impairment of iron metabolism, and immune dysfunction and associated anemia of infection [23]. In the present study, children with night blindness were not more likely to have elevated acute phase proteins than children without night blindness. However, the number of children with night blindness in this study was small, and the study had limited statistical power to address this secondary hypothesis. Other studies among pregnant women in Nepal [6] and preschool children in Indonesia [7] show that individuals with night blindness are more likely to have elevated acute phase proteins.
The relationship between IL-6 and elevated acute phase proteins has not well been characterized in epidemiological studies of vitamin A deficiency. IL-6 is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a role in the upregulation of CRP [24] and AGP [25]. In the present study, IL-6 concentrations had a moderate correlation with both CRP and AGP. CRP is one component of a first line of innate host defense against infectious diseases [24]. The biological function of AGP has not been well characterized [25]. The inverse correlation of hemoglobin with AGP, CRP, and IL-6 suggests the role of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation in the anemia of chronic infection [26].
In summary, the method of excluding individuals with elevated acute phase proteins from this survey of vitamin A deficiency resulted in sampling bias and a prevalence estimate that was based upon about half of the original sample. The remaining sample was healthier, older, less likely to have been hospitalized, and with a higher proportion of boys and a lower proportion with anemia. The method of excluding individuals with elevated acute phase proteins may lead to underestimation of the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency remains a major problem in many developing countries worldwide, and further studies are needed to develop unbiased epidemiological methods for the estimation of the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in populations.
McLaren DS, Frigg M: Sight and Life Manual on Vitamin A Deficiency Disorders (VADD). 2001, Basel: Task Force Sight and Life, 2
Tarwotjo I, Sommer A, Soegiharto T, Susanto D, Muhilal : Dietary practices and xerophthalmia among Indonesian children. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982, 35: 574-581.
Brown KH, Black RE, Becker S, Nahar S, Sawyer J: Consumption of foods and nutrients by weanlings in rural Bangladesh. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982, 36: 878-889.
Semba RD, de Pee S, Panagides D, Poly O, Bloem MW: Risk factors for xerophthalmia among mothers and their children and for mother-child pairs with xerophthalmia in Cambodia. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004, 122: 517-523. 10.1001/archopht.122.4.517.
Mele L, West KP, Kusdiono , Pandji A, Nendrawati H, Tilden RL, Tarwotjo I: Nutritional and household risk factors for xerophthalmia in Aceh, Indonesia: a case-control study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991, 53: 1460-1465.
Christian P, Schulze K, Stoltzfus RJ, West KP: Hyporetinolemia, illness symptoms, and acute phase protein response in pregnant women with and without night blindness. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998, 67: 1237-1243.
Semba RD, Muhilal , West KP, Natadisastra G, Eisinger W, Lan Y, Sommer A: Hyporetinolemia and acute phase proteins in children with and without xerophthalmia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000, 72: 146-153.
De Pee S, Dary O: Biochemical indicators of vitamin A deficiency: serum retinol and serum retinol binding protein. J Nutr. 2002, 132 (9 suppl): 2895S-2901S.
Arroyave G, Calcano M: Descendo de los niveles sericos de retinol y su proteina de enlace (RBP) durante las infecciones. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1979, 29: 233-260.
Filteau SM, Morris SS, Abbott RA, Tomkins AM, Kirkwood BR, Arthur P, Ross DA, Gyapong JO, Raynes JG: Influence of morbidity on serum retinol of children in a community-based study in northern Ghana. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993, 58: 192-197.
Thurnham DI, McCabe GP, Northrop-Clewes CA, Nestel P: Effects of subclinical infection on plasma retinol concentrations and assessment of prevalence of vitamin A deficiency: meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003, 362: 2052-2058. 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15099-4.
Semba RD, Palafox NA: Prevention of nutritional blindness in the South Pacific. Asia Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2002, 14: 6-12.
Gamble MV, Ramakrishnan R, Palafox NA, Briand K, Berglund L, Blaner WS: Retinol binding protein as a surrogate measure for serum retinol: studies in vitamin A-deficient children from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001, 73: 594-601.
Palafox NA, Gamble MV, Dancheck B, Ricks MO, Semba RD: Vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency, and anemia among preschool children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Nutrition. 2003, 19: 405-408. 10.1016/S0899-9007(02)01104-8.
Sommer A, Hussaini G, Muhilal , Tarwotjo I, Susanto D, Saroso J: History of nightblindness: a simple tool for xerophthalmia screening. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980, 33: 887-891.
Comstock GW, Alberg AJ, Helzlsouer KJ: Reported effects of long-term freezer storage on concentrations of retinol, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol in serum or plasma summarized. Clin Chem. 1993, 39: 1075-1078.
World Health Organization: Indicators for assessing vitamin A deficiency and their application in monitoring and evaluating intervention programmes. 1996, Geneva, WHO, (WHO/NUT/96.10)
Semba RD: Vitamin A, infection, and immune function. In: Nutrition and Immune Function. Edited by: Calder PC, Field CJ, Gill HS. 2002, CABI Publishing, New York NY, 151-169.
Guerrant RL, Kirchhoff LV, Shields DS, Nations MK, Leslie J, de Sousa MA, Araujo JG, Correia LL, Sauer KT, McClelland KE, Trowbridge FL, Hughes JM: Prospective study of diarrheal illnesses in northeastern Brazil: patterns of disease, nutritional impact, etiologies, and risk factors. J Infect Dis. 1983, 148: 986-997.
Stanton BF, Clemens JD: Socioeconomic variables and rates of diarrhoeal disease in urban Bangladesh. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1987, 81: 278-282. 10.1016/0035-9203(87)90241-0.
Jousilahti P, Salomaa V, Rasi V, Vahtera E, Palosuo T: Association of markers of systemic inflammation, C reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and fibrinogen, with socioeconomic status. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003, 57: 730-733. 10.1136/jech.57.9.730.
Owen N, Poulton T, Hay FC, Mohamed-Ali V, Steptoe A: Socioeconomic status, C-reactive protein, immune factors, and responses to acute mental stress. Brain Behav Immun. 2003, 17: 286-295. 10.1016/S0889-1591(03)00058-8.
Semba RD, Bloem MW: The anemia of vitamin A deficiency: epidemiology and pathogenesis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002, 56: 271-281. 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601320.
Volanakis JE: Human C-reactive protein: expression, structure, and function. Mol Immunol. 2001, 38: 189-197. 10.1016/S0161-5890(01)00042-6.
Fournier T, Medjoubi-N N, Porquet D: Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000, 1482: 157-171.
Means RT: The anaemia of infection. Ballieres Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2000, 13: 151-162. 10.1053/beha.1999.0065.
This study was support in part by the Pacific Health Research Institute, UNICEF, the Fergussen Foundation Hawaii, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD30042) of the National Institutes of Health.
Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Maria Maqsood, Barbara Dancheck, Michelle O Ricks & Richard D Semba
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
Mary V Gamble
Department of Family Practice and Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Neal A Palafox
Ministry of Health and Environment, Marshall Islands
Kennar Briand
Maria Maqsood
Barbara Dancheck
Michelle O Ricks
Richard D Semba
Correspondence to Richard D Semba.
Maqsood, M., Dancheck, B., Gamble, M.V. et al. Vitamin A deficiency and inflammatory markers among preschool children in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Nutr J 3, 21 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-3-21
vitamin A deficiency
xerophthalmia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


soon became one of Europe's largest military bases during WWI.
In 1919 the Army Sports School was established here, training German athletes ahead of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Rain damage. Tavira, November 2017.


10 minutes to set the car up i.e seat mirrors and discuss the last lesson and hat we will do this lesson.
This does not take account of time required to get back and forth from Bletchley the test area. Familiarity with the test routes helps on the day of the test.
30% more time on learning something new or practicing something already taught.


By 1940 all but emergency construction work was halted and the war quickly claimed most of his students. In 1942 Carrick finally retired, settling with his wife Janet at the family's holiday home, 'The Onsteads', at Midlem in the Scottish Borders. Anne Scott told me there was talk of setting up a small studio in the house but this never happened. Sculpture, particularly the work of the monumental mason, is physically demanding and was often undertaken in yards with basic protection from the elements. Such work must take its toll and must have contributed to Carrick's early retirement.
Carrick took up gardening and, being something of a coinnoisseur, took pleasure in growing his own food. The couple also took in evacuees, young children sent from the cities which where being bombed, to the safety of the country where Alex would show them how to model in clay. Carrick had been a keen athlete and ran for Edinburgh Harriers in his youth. He enjoyed going to Rugby games at the Greenyards in Melrose and organising athletic games for his grandchildren in the garden. He had a lifelong love of angling especially with his brother in law at Loch Eck in Argyle and Glen Etive.
Later with failing health and eyesight he had to give up gardening and he and Janet moved to a smaller cottage in nearby Darnick.
Alexander Carrick died in Galashiels in 1966. Following the publication of some very short obituaries friends and fellow artists attempted to have an 'Appreciation' of Carrick's work and life published in The Scotsman newspaper, but the piece was refused and never published.
Alex Carrick loved antique furniture and on one ocassion took great pleasure in outbidding an American for an Adam's sideboard in Orkney, thus keeping the piece in Scotland. Anne and Elizabeth Carrick gifted it to the National Trust for Scotland, for their Georgian House In Edinburgh; in memory of their mother and father.
Carrick's signature at the base of the Wallace Statue, Edinburgh Castle.


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McCarthy formally denies Schiff and Swawell seats on House Intelligence Committee
Germany authorizes Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine; US promises M1 Abrams
Home/U.S./Zelensky arrives in the US to meet with Biden: Live updates
Zelensky arrives in the US to meet with Biden: Live updates
thaipriusclubDecember 21, 2022
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with President Biden and a plea for continued support from his American allies as his country braces itself for a long, cold winter of war.
Sitting in front of a roaring fire in the Oval Office and speaking in shaky English, Mr Zelensky expressed "all my gratitude, from my heart, from the heart of all Ukrainians" for American support as his forces battle Russian invaders.
Biden told Zelensky that his people "inspire the world" and accused Russian President Vladimir V. Putin for trying to "use winter as a weapon" by attacking civilian targets that provide electricity and heat to millions of people. Mr Biden pledged continued support for the "great people of Ukraine".
Mr Zelensky presented Mr Biden with a Military Merit Cross, which was presented to him by a soldier on the front line in Ukraine. The soldier, a captain, said Mr Zelensky should give it to the "very brave president" who had saved many lives in his country.
"Undeserved, but much appreciated," Mr. Biden replied.
Just minutes earlier, Mr. Biden welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart to a ceremony on the South Lawn for what officials said would be two hours of closed-door meetings in which the leaders would reaffirm their determination to defend Ukraine against what they called illegal invasion by Russian forces that began in February.
Mr Zelensky's visit to the capital of his most powerful benefactor — kept secret until the eve of his arrival for security reasons — is a dramatic show of confidence from the Ukrainian leader, who has not left his country since Russian President Vladimir V. Putin launched his attack 300 days ago.
But it comes at a time when hope for peace looks remote as both sides fear months of continued fighting. In Russia, officials warned that new US arms deliveries would lead to an "escalation of the conflict" and Mr Putin promised his government would provide "everything the army asks for – everything" in its drive for conquest.
Wednesday's day trip to Washington was designed as a thank you, a victory tour and an advertisement all at once. As he has done since the beginning, Mr. Zelensky intends to be frank with Mr. Biden and later with members of Congress during a speech on Capitol Hill. He is expected to say that his country cannot survive without billions of dollars worth of advanced American military equipment.
"President Zelensky's visit here is at least partially, perhaps primarily, designed to bolster that support and rejuvenate enthusiasm for Ukraine's success," said William B. Taylor, Jr., who served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. " That's all the Ukrainians will need to prevent a Russian offensive.
Mr. Zelensky will certainly get some, but not all, of what he wants. Congress is just days away from approving nearly $50 billion in additional security and economic aid for Ukraine. The State Department announced the delivery of a Patriot missile battery to help Ukraine defend itself against attacks from the air, but the administration is still rejecting longer-range weapons that could strike deep into Russia and potentially draw the United States into a direct conflict with Mr. Putin and his army.
For Mr. Biden, the highly orchestrated visit is an opportunity to remind Americans why he has committed the United States treasury — though not its soldiers — to protecting the borders of a country on a continent. He will say that this is the only way to guarantee the rights of any country to maintain its sovereignty in the face of flagrant violations of international law.
That decision did not come without sacrifice and political cost for Mr. Biden, who correctly predicted before the war began that Americans would suffer economic consequences as the impact of Europe's first war in decades spread around the world. Gasoline and food prices soared, helping to boost inflation in the United States and elsewhere.
Now, having rallied dozens of nations to oppose Russia's invasion, Mr. Biden finds himself having to hold that coalition together longer than anyone in the White House imagined at the start of the war. And he faces a concerted effort by Mr. Putin to break up the alliance by limiting energy resources and attacking civilian areas in Ukraine.
"The most important part of this visit may be to counter Putin's belief that time is on his side in the war," said Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Reporting contributed by Emily Cochrane in washington, Anton Troyanovski in Berlin and Andrew E. Kramer in Kyiv.
#Zelensky #arrives #meet #Biden #Live #updates
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White Hart Street, Dalkeith, EH22.
Based in White Hart Street, Edinburgh, Dalkeith Arts Centre is an art shop.
Dalkeith Arts Centre is in White Hart Street Edinburgh. You can view a list of neighbouring businesses by going to the White Hart Street page.
If you would like a list of other arts centres other listings throughout Edinburgh, please visit the Arts and Culture section of this website.
Note: the pin is positioned at the postcode centre, and may not correspond with the precise location of 2 White Hart Street.


Join the KP Library for our annual Night at the KP LIbrary! This year we are partnering with That Art Place to paint ornaments. Each ornament is $10 and can be paid for the night of the event. This will take place before the Holiday KP Show Choir Performance.
We look forward to kicking off the holiday season with our KP family!


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ELLE ADDA
Emmanuelle Adda, a star in stage shows and revues in different parts of the world including Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and West Side Story , a receiver of the prestigious IDEA international award representing her country in Hong Kong, and also a singer featured alongside the world renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers. For those who don't know, Emmanuelle Adda is the granddaughter of national artist Andrea Veneracion.
45-60 Min Stage Show
Track or Band Show Available
BACK TO VOCALISTS


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Danny Allen Holden, 64, of Shallotte died Wednesday, February 1, 2017, at his residence. Born in Brunswick County on February 10, 1952, he was the only child of Hyet Holden and Louise Russ Holden. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his step-father Eldridge Ludlum who loved and cared for him as his son.
Survivors are Judy T. Russ, caregiver and cousin who has selflessly cared for Danny since the death of his parents, and many cousins and friends.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM, Monday, February 6, 2017, in Old Shallotte Baptist Church, where he was a devoted member, by The Rev. Landis Lancaster, The Rev L'Lena Holden and The Rev. Rory Thigpen. Burial will be in Mintz Cemetery.
The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service.
On-line condolences may be sent to www.brunswickfuneralservice.com.
If you wish to sign the Guest Book for Danny Allen Holden, please click here.


Gather and Gown Bridesmaid Dresses, 2016. Pleated Empire Gown in Chiffon: Stop daydreaming about a bridesmaid look that's effortless and totally femme. You found it! Take center stage, with all eyes on you, in this figure-flattering style and toast the bride and groom on their wedding day.


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California is powered by 100% renewable energy sources
But still far from its carbon-free energy goal.
Ameya Paleja
| Jun 14, 2022 09:01 AM EST
Created: Jun 14, 2022 09:01 AM EST
Wind and solar power generation facilities installed togethernarvikk/ iStock
The state of California came close to being powered by all renewable energy twice this year. However, last month, it crossed the consumer demand and produced more power than was needed for a few hours in a day, using just its renewable energy capacity, CleanTechnica reported.
Countries worldwide have set themselves ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions over the next few decades. However, the transition to renewables is not that straightforward and needs to be planned holistically.
Renewable energy sources are well known to be sporadic and affected by the time of the day and seasons of the year. So, a renewable energy transition plan needs to account for multiple variables and include redundancies to ensure there are no hiccups.
California's leap into the future of energy
California's transition towards renewables has been a good mix of government policy and awareness and adoption from the public at large. Not only has the state established multiple megawatt scale solar farms, but it has also facilitated the installation of solar rooftops on its buildings.
The state's push for renewable energy has yielded more than satisfactory results so far. But since the beginning of the year, the power generation has been aiming for the 100 percent milestone and even came close to it on more than one occasion. On May 3rd, when the milestone was assumed to be achieved, detailed calculations revealed that the production at fallen short by a mere 0.13 percent of total demand.
However, a few days later, the production crossed the mark by a comfortable margin when it exceeded the power demand at the time. The state has also prepared for such an eventuality by installing grid-scale batteries in its energy infrastructure. According to the State Energy Commission, 1400 MW of battery capacity was added in 2021 alone.
Setbacks and innovations
California's journey towards renewable energy hasn't been a smooth ride either. The state that has in the past relied on hydropower was forced to shut down its hydroelectric power plant at Lake Oroville last year after the water levels fell and were insufficient to generate electricity.
The state that has been going through a climate-change-induced drought has had to take these setbacks in its stride. It has, however, also paved the way for more innovative projects such as setting up solar panels on canals in a bid to generate power and save water from evaporation.
As much as the state would like to produce most of its power from renewables, it is well aware that its tryst with fossil fuels is far from over. Gas-powered plants still continue to run in the state, especially at night, when power generation from solar panels is down to zero, NPR reported.
Even as prices of renewable energy plummet, the state needs to ramp up wind and solar production capacities by 3X and battery storage by 8X to achieve its round-the-clock carbon-free energy goal by 2045, Clean Technica said in its report.
While California's recent milestone is definitely worthy of a celebration, there is a long way to go before it becomes round-the-clock normal.
SCOPE: This quantum dot spectrometer can hasten Uranus and Neptune orbital missions
Reaching the outer planet system can take ages. But with Mahmooda Sultana's SCOPE, spacecraft can reach the planetary systems of Uranus and Neptune in just four or five years.
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Colby News
Recent Faculty Accomplishments
Colby In the News
E-News Subscriptions
High-Resolution Images
Historian Leonard Wins Award for Research and Writing
Elizabeth D. Leonard, the John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Professor of History, has won the Thomas D. Clark Medallion Award for her most recent book, Slaves, Slaveholders, and a Kentucky Community's Struggle toward Freedom, published by the University Press of Kentucky (UPK).
"Much of what we know about Kentucky history and culture rests on works published by UPK, and Professor Leonard's book adds greatly to this tradition," said Stan Macdonald, board president of the Thomas D. Clark Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the University Press of Kentucky. "After reviewing several top UPK books published in 2019, a committee of the foundation chose Dr. Leonard's book because of its high standards for research and writing exemplified by the award's namesake, the late, distinguished historian Thomas D. Clark." The Clark Foundation gives this annual award to a University Press of Kentucky publication that accentuates Kentucky's history and culture.
"I am grateful to be recognized once again for the quality of my scholarship and to have the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to my field," Leonard said. "The book was a particularly challenging one to write, given the disparity in the types of sources available for the different groups of people involved—simply put: lots of sources for Whites, scant sources for Blacks.
"But the story means so much to me, having lived in 'Holt World' as a historian for such a long time and having come to know these historical individuals almost as distant friends. I particularly value the recognition the award represents of my efforts to bring the stories of Sandy Holt and the other brave Black men, who fought for freedom in the 118th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment, to light, and to show that it is possible, with persistence, to do so."
Leonard will give a lecture about her book Sept. 17 at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Ky.
To read more about Leonard's book, visit Colby Magazine.
Tags: Faculty Accomplishments history
Colby College Names Chenel Harris-Smith New Head Women's Basketball Coach
Water Activist Named 2019 Oak Human Rights Fellow at Colby College
$18-Million Grant Sustains Biomedical Research in Maine


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No jab, no job bid in court
A Human rights organisation has filed a National Court proceeding to declare the 'no jab, no job policy' unconstitutional.
A Human rights organization has filed a proceeding to declare the 'no jab, no job policy' unconstitutional.
The Human Rights Advocacy International Inc, is also seeking orders of the court to permanently restrain all government agencies, public statutory institutions and private corporate entities from imposing the no jab, no job policy on their employees.
Aggrieved employees of the National Capital District Commission (NCDC), through their workers union, have also filed a similar case against the commission for the implementation of the no jab, no job policy.
Both cases were mentioned before Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi yesterday at the Waigani National Court and were adjourned to today.
NCDC workers union is seeking redress for the rights of unvaccinated staff who were barred from entering their workplace after the commission implemented the no jab, no job policy while the human rights organisation is seeking redress for all working citizens including staff of NCDC.
Human rights lawyer, Baundo Francis, who is also the founder and executive director of Human Rights Advocacy International Inc (HRAII), filed the application pursuant to s.57 of the Constitution and Rule 6 (c) and (e) of the Human Rights Rules 2010.
Mr Francis is seeking to declare the "so called" no jab, no job policy as unconstitutional and thus cannot be enforced as mandatory in any organisation in both public and private sectors.
In his affidavit in support, he indicated that the no jab, no job policy is not captured in any legislation such as the Pandemic Act and is thus deemed unlawful.
He said that the Government's position as per Prime Minister James Marape's media statement on September 9, 2021, in daily papers, was for vaccination to be optional or voluntary and not mandatory.
However, he stated that some private companies, government departments and public State entities have either attempted or actually made vaccination mandatory or as a mandatory employment requirement on their current employees.
He stated that the futile and inhumane policy simply meant that if a certain employee, staff member or worker did not get the vaccination, he or she automatically stands to lose his or her job with the employer.
He further indicated that he is aware that Covid-19 is a global health crisis to which PNG is no exception but the fundamental rights of citizens as stipulated under s.32 of the Constitution must be protected.
These arguments are expected to be submitted in court today along with the case brought up by the NCDC workers union before Justice Kandakasi.
Major General Gilbert Toropo files motion to review sacking
The Commander of the PNG Defense Force, Major General Gilbert Toropo, whose position was revoked recently by the National Executive Council, is seeking to challenge the decision of his revocation.
Court stays Kopyato's submission
WHILE the leave for a judicial review proceeding is pending, the National Court issued the stay to maintain the status quo.
Policeman to pay costs for case vs Kalaut
The Waigani National Court has ordered a police constable to pay the costs for proceedings against suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police Sylvester Kalaut for obtaining an unlawful warrant of arrest against him.


Who gets to profit from Canada's booming weed industry? Researchers at The Weekly found that nearly 40 former politicians and police officers are involved in medicinal marijuana companies, set to make retail sales as soon as it becomes legal. The CBC's Wendy Mesley talks to pot activist Jodie Emery about how the activists who pushed for legalization are now being left out.


A New York Times bestseller, Red is the first book to explore the history of red hair and red-headedness throughout the world. With an obsessive fascination that is as contagious as it is compelling, Jacky Colliss Harvey explores red hair in the ancient world, the prejudice manifested against redheads across medieval Europe, and red hair during the Renaissance as both an indicator of Jewishness and the height of fashion in Protestant England, thanks to Elizabeth I. Colliss Harvey also examines depictions of red hair in art and literature, looks at modern medicine and the genetic decoding of redheads, and considers red hair in contemporary culture, from advertising to 'gingerism' and bullying. More than just a book for redheads, Red is a fascinating social and cultural celebration of a rich and mysterious genetic quirk.


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Are you ready to dive in the Lobster A-bisque? Use this recipe from Chef Peter Sclafani to whip up Lobster & Asparagus Bisque in your very own kitchen!


Learn about more about past campaigns that have been funded by your generous gifts.
Dr. Alicia Monroe, provost and senior vice president of Academic and Faculty Affairs, talks with a student.
The Career Development Center focused on the professional growth of the next generation of leaders in healthcare and biosciences. The center offers robust programs and services specific to the needs of the student population, and creates strong partnerships with the faculty and College leadership to develop comprehensive career services.
With support from the BCM Fund, the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program provided medical and graduate students the leadership skills and practical tools to address the social factors that affect health. Baylor participants in this national program work with mentors and community-based organizations to develop and run year-long service projects including health and hygiene care for homeless women, support groups for young adults with sickle cell disease, and cervical cancer prevention for teens.
Dr. Xander Wehrens and his team in the Cardiovascular Research Institute aim to reduce suffering and mortality from cardiovascular disease by conducting cutting-edge research to improve day-to-day care for heart patients. They have developed a next-generation DNA sequencing test to diagnose genetic cardiovascular diseases that soon could be available commercially and models of heart disease that can provide insight into diagnosis, testing, and treatment.
Dr. Matthew Ellis, director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and a McNair Scholar, is applying genomic techniques to breast cancer tumor mutations to identify weaknesses that could be targets for new drug treatments. Clinical trials will show whether these therapies are effective in extending the lives of some patients whose breast cancer has re-occurred and is resistant to existing chemotherapy.
credit: Andrew G. Sikora Labeled (green) immune cells are drawn towards a head and neck cancer spheroid after therapeutic radiation.
Dr. Andrew Sikora and his laboratory team relocated from New York City to Baylor College of Medicine's Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, where he can continue his work of understanding the many ways cancer cells evade detection and eradication by the body's immune system. This knowledge allows us to develop new therapeutic strategies that focus the immune system on destruction of cancer cells, to benefit patients in the Texas Medical Center and beyond.
Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy wants to make medical technologies and approaches more available in the developing world. At the Baylor Global Innovation Center she is creating mobile apps and low-cost, battery operated devices to diagnose and manage chronic diseases worldwide. Her emergency smart pods are portable medical units that can be deployed rapidly in a natural disaster or infectious disease outbreak like Ebola.
For more information, please contact the Office of Philanthropy, (713) 798-4714.


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Think about it! Literally within a matter of weeks, at Salon and Spa Galleria Grapevine TX, you can own your own mini beauty salon. Yes, you will be leasing the salon booth for rent, but you will be running your own business from that leased salon suite rental. It boils down to this: booth rental vs commission. When you work at a beauty shop owned by someone else, you work for commissions, which basically means you work for the bare minimum. But when you lease a salon booth from Salon & Spa Galleria, you work for yourself. You pocket the profits after expenses. You are the owner of your own beauty industry business, a small business person in charge of your own future.
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text:
Food Safety Conference: regulation and threats in focus
By Noli Dinkovski contact
19-Apr-2018 - Last updated on 20-Apr-2018 at 14:28 GMT
The all-day conference will take place at etc.venues Maple House, Birmingham, on 21 June
Changes in regulation and future threats lead the themes at this year's Food Safety Conference, organised by Food Manufacture.
Entitled 'A focus on future law and threats', the all-day conference will be held at etc.venues Maple House, Birmingham, on Thursday 21 June.
Heading the speaker line-up is Nina Purcell, director of Wales and local delivery at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), who will offer an update on the move to a new risk-based approach to inspecting food and drink businesses.
Early-bird offer
To book an early-bird place (until 14 May), please email or call Elizabeth Ellis on 01293 846593.
Andy Morling, head of the FSA's National Food Crime Unit, meanwhile, will discuss the nature and scope of recently reported food safety offences.
Other speakers include:
Greencore group technical director Helen Sisson on a new industry-wide information-sharing initiative.
Sue Davies, strategic policy adviser at Which?, on how risk and uncertainty might change as the deadline for the UK to leave the EU approaches.
Bertrand Emond, head of membership and training at Campden BRI, on the essential steps needed to create the right food safety culture, from head office to factory floor.
Barbara Hirst, consultant for food safety and quality at RSSL, on reducing the risk of allergen contamination in the factory.
Professor Steven Walker
The conference will be chaired by Professor Steven Walker, director general at Campden BRI.
Meanwhile, developing trust with food safety regulators was the key focus point at last year's Food Manufacture Food safety conference, according to Professor Walker.
Visit our dedicated Food Safety Conference website for more information and regular updates.
Related topics: Food Safety
Take our food safety survey and win £100
Not so perfect ten on new rules
Food Safety Conference: days left for discount offer
New food product safety test gets £57.5k fund


text:
import addons from '@storybook/addons';

import A11yManager from './A11yManager';
import * as shared from './shared';

const manager = new A11yManager();
let axeOptions = {};

function checkA11y(storyFn, context) {
  const channel = addons.getChannel();
  return manager.wrapStory(channel, storyFn, context, axeOptions);
}

function configureA11y(options = {}) {
  axeOptions = options;
}

export { checkA11y, shared, configureA11y };

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
#ifndef FLAC__PRIVATE__STREAM_ENCODER_FRAMING_H
#define FLAC__PRIVATE__STREAM_ENCODER_FRAMING_H

#include "../../../format.h"
#include "bitwriter.h"

FLAC__bool FLAC__add_metadata_block(const FLAC__StreamMetadata *metadata, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);
FLAC__bool FLAC__frame_add_header(const FLAC__FrameHeader *header, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);
FLAC__bool FLAC__subframe_add_constant(const FLAC__Subframe_Constant *subframe, unsigned subframe_bps, unsigned wasted_bits, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);
FLAC__bool FLAC__subframe_add_fixed(const FLAC__Subframe_Fixed *subframe, unsigned residual_samples, unsigned subframe_bps, unsigned wasted_bits, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);
FLAC__bool FLAC__subframe_add_lpc(const FLAC__Subframe_LPC *subframe, unsigned residual_samples, unsigned subframe_bps, unsigned wasted_bits, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);
FLAC__bool FLAC__subframe_add_verbatim(const FLAC__Subframe_Verbatim *subframe, unsigned samples, unsigned subframe_bps, unsigned wasted_bits, FLAC__BitWriter *bw);

#endif


text:
GRAHAM FRITH -THE PHANTOM ARROW
In the Summer of 1967, Ted Cain, the owner of a country club at Kirklinton, near Carlisle, was looking for a different stage attraction to entertain his patrons.
He came up with the idea of booking a darts champion who would take on ten challengers each night on stage and, based on the theory that the darter was unbeatable, Ted offered £10 to anyone who could take a game off of his man. Ted felt that as this would be an unlikely event, his money was quite safe.
The name chosen for Ted's champion was 'THE PHANTOM ARROW'.
It was pure showmanship of course, the darter wearing a tight black full-face mask to ensure anonymity. In addition, he never spoke. The Phantom was considered to be so good that he agreed to play in gloves to give the punters a chance. The mystery darter was booked for one night per week for the summer. The chance of winning £10 (a sum which equated to £190 in 2020) meant there was no shortage of challengers who thronged to the club much as Ted had hoped.
However, things did not quite go according to plan, 'The Phantom' catching the imagination of the nation when the Daily Mirror of 4th July that year ran the headline 'PHANTOM ARROW'S DEADLY DARTS HIT TED'S POCKET'.
The Phantom had been beaten four times in one night, costing Ted £40 in the process. "This could cost me a fortune", said Ted. "Even a local farmer I can beat myself picked up a tenner. And I'm no darts expert!"
The Phantom's identity had been kept a closely guarded secret. After that first night, and his wallet £40 lighter, Ted quipped, "Now he is even less likely to want anyone to know who he is!"
But Ted's fears of The Phantom Arrow burning a large hole in his pocket were totally unfounded. Four days later, the Daily Mirror on 8th July reported
At last he's done it! The Phantom Arrow, the top darts player who is masked in mystery, has found his form. He wiped the board with ten challengers last night after costing club owner Ted Cain £40 in five days ago…
Indeed, 'The 'Phantom' played a total of 146 games at Kirklinton Hall during the summer and won 137 of them, costing Ted Cain a mere £90 over fifteen weeks.
But who was The Phantom Arrow?
1967 was a particularly good year for Graham Frith, a darts player from Carlisle. In addition to numerous local successes, Graham reached the finals of the News of the World Individual Darts Championship of England and Wales having won the North of England Divisional title. The Grand Finals were held at the Alexandra Palace, London N. 22 on Saturday 22nd April.
The News of the World programme that year stated
Carlisle's Graham Frith has been in bad health for the past nine months. It took a lot of courage even to enter for these championships, and it took courage plus ability to get to these finals.
With this kind of determination – and with the ability he showed in his Divisional win at Tynemouth – who's to say that Graham won't complete a remarkable recovery by taking the title back to the North of England?
In the North of England Divisional Finals at the Plaza Ballroom, Tynemouth, North Shields on the evening of Tuesday 14th March 1967, Graham had swept all before him without dropping a match. First to fall was Brian Howe of the Welsh Harp, Trimdon Grange (The Hartlepools Area) (2-0) then, in the semi-finals, Frith beat Jim Graham of the Senhouse Working Men's Club, (the Workington Area champion) (2-0). He retained a third clean sheet in the final, beating Bob Hunter of the Corporation Social Club, Gateshead (the Sunderland Area champion) 2-0. Graham Frith is pictured here (on the right of the photograph) being presented with the North of England Divisional trophy by Mr. E. Davis, Sales Manager of the Scottish-Newcastle Breweries. (Photograph © News of the World. Used with permission.)
With such a performance at the Divisional finals, it seemed that everything was set for a great run in the Grand Finals for Graham, playing out of the Cumberland Inn, Carlisle. But it was not to be. Graham fell in the quarter-finals to Terry Pickard, the Lancashire and Cheshire Divisional champion (playing out of the Mitre Sports and Social Club, Burnley, Lancs). Pickard, a 29-year-old miner, took the match 2-1.
Graham had previously made it to the North of England Divisional Finals of the News of the World, back in 1961. Those finals were held on 7th March at the Milvain Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On that occasion, having beaten Sid Ternett, the Sunderland Area champion 2-1 in the quarter-final, then Fred Nicholson, the Kendal Area champion, in the semi-final, Graham then fell in the Divisional Final to Alec Adamson (Durham Area champion). Graham Frith could take some solace though from that Adamson, the man who beat him that night, went on to lift the News of the World title at the Alexandra Palace on 22nd April.
Given such credentials, it was not surprising that Graham was asked to star in the Kirklinton Hall cabaret as 'The Phantom Arrow'.
As Graham was a well-known darter in the area, further measures had to be taken to convince those who thought he was 'The Phantom' that it was not the case. Thus, during his albeit short cabaret career, Graham was seen around Carlisle sporting a plaster cast on his right arm. (The cast was especially made for him and had a zip fastener on the inside of the arm!)
Because of his 'broken arm', Graham was unable to play his regular pub darts and for this reason the ruse was even more convincing. How could he possibly be The Phantom? Still, many remained convinced thought Graham to be the mysterious, masked darter but that plaster cast kept the doubt remaining.
In discussion in 1990 Graham said
"Today I play darts only once a week on average. But I look back at the time I was The Phantom Arrow and smile. After all, how many darts players can claim to have been top of the bill with Rue and The Rockets as the supporting act?"
© Patrick Chaplin 2021
(The original version of 'The Phantom Arrow' was published in Darts World, Issue 217, December 1990.)
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James Hope says:
What a great article Patrick i really enjoyed reading it keep up the excellent work


text:
Avalon, Fabian, Rydell and Happy Together Tour at Caesars Windsor
50s and 60s pop nostalgia with The Golden Boys and Happy Together Tour
Windsor, ON – Caesars Windsor is proud to present Dick Fox's The Golden Boys performing at 9 pm on Saturday, July 14, 2012. The show unites three of the most popular teen idols of the late 50s and 60s: Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell. Hear these legendary performers sing their all-time greatest hits including Avalon's "Venus" and "De De Dinah," and "Bobby Sox to Stockings"; Fabian's "Turn Me Loose" and "Tiger" and Rydell's "Volare" and "Kissin' Time" plus tributes to the era's biggest singers. Tickets starting at $25 Canadian.
Also this summer, the Happy Together Tour performs live on the Colosseum stage on Friday, August 3, 2012. Hear the best pop-rock music of the 60s with The Turtles featuring Flo and Eddie, The Monkees' lead singer Mickey Dolenz, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Grass Roots and The Buckinghams. It's a high-energy, fun evening with live performances of their biggest hits including "Happy Together", "I'm a Believer", "Young Girl", "Let's Live for Today" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". Tickets starting at $20 Canadian.
Please note: Due to the great response to the Price is Right™ Live shows in June, a matinee show has been added at 3 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Featuring host Todd Newton, this stage adaptation of the iconic television game show invites random audience members to "Come On Down" to participate in a variety of favorite Price is Right games for a chance to win great prizes. Tickets are $25 Canadian.
Ticket purchases can be made through caesarswindsor.com or at the Box Office located in the main casino building on the second floor, open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8 pm. On concert days, the Box Office is open noon until midnight. Guests must be 19 years of age or older to attend concerts and to enter the casino and all other outlets. Prices listed do not include applicable taxes and fees.
Other headline acts include: The Price is Right™ Live! (June 27 – 30), The Tragically Hip (July 5) and Heart (July 28).
Caesars Windsor is the largest casino resort in Canada and the first of its kind outside of the U.S. to be branded with this legendary, world-renowned name. Proud recipient of the CAA/AAA Four Diamond hotel award for 13 consecutive years and the 2011 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. Winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its gourmet steakhouse, Neros. Voted "Overall Best Gaming Resort" for 11 consecutive years and "Best Overall Entertainment" by Casino Player Magazine. In 2011, the Colosseum was ranked Top 25 Worldwide Theatre Venus by Pollstar® for a second year. Enjoy free, local and live music weekly in Cosmos Lounge.
www.caesarswindsor.com


C Cunningham (Carton House) bt S Ward (Co Louth) 1 hole.
S Lowry (Esker Hills) bt M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 4/3.
B Keenan (The Heath) bt A McAllister (The International, USA) 2/1.
D Morgan (Mullingar) bt K Stack (Dungarvan/UCC) 4/3.


text:
Q: Inconvertable Types Android I am getting a weird error. In my code I am trying to cast a WorkoutDetailFragment to an object which is of type WorkoutDetailFragment. Here is the code for WorkoutDetailFragment:
package com.hfad.workout;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.support.v4.app.FragmentTransaction;
import android.support.v4.app.Fragment;

public class WorkoutDetailFragment extends Fragment {
    private long workoutId;

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
        if(savedInstanceState != null)
        {
            workoutId = savedInstanceState.getLong("workoutId");
        }
        android.support.v4.app.FragmentTransaction ft = getChildFragmentManager().beginTransaction();
        com.hfad.workout.StopwatchFragment stopwatchFragment = new com.hfad.workout.StopwatchFragment();
        ft.replace(R.id.stopwatch_container, stopwatchFragment);
        ft.setTransition(FragmentTransaction.TRANSIT_FRAGMENT_FADE);
        ft.commit();
        return inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_workout_detail, container, false);
    }
    @Override
    public void onStart(){
        super.onStart();
        View view = getView();
        if(view != null)
        {
            TextView title = (TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.textTitle);
            Workout workout = Workout.workouts[(int) workoutId];
            title.setText(workout.getName());
            TextView description = (TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.textDescription);
            description.setText(workout.getDescription());
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
        savedInstanceState.putLong("workoutId", workoutId);
    }

    public void setWorkout(long id)
    {
        this.workoutId = id;
    }
}

The error is occurring in this class named DetailActivity saying that: "Inconvertable types; cannot cast 'android.app.Fragment' to 'com.hfad.workout.WorkoutDetailFragment'. Here is the code for DetailActivity, I have a comment on top of the piece of code that has an error:
    package com.hfad.workout;

    import android.app.Activity;
    import android.os.Bundle;

    public class DetailActivity extends Activity
    {
        public static final String EXTRA_WORKOUT_ID = "id";

        @Override
        protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
        {
            super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
            setContentView(R.layout.activity_detail);
            //This is where the error occurs:
WorkoutDetailFragment workoutDetailFragment = (WorkoutDetailFragment) getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.detail_frag);
            int workoutId = (int) getIntent().getExtras().get(EXTRA_WORKOUT_ID);
            workoutDetailFragment.setWorkout(workoutId);
        }
    }

Any help is greatly appreciated, let me know if any other code or further explanation is needed :)

A: You need to use ActivityCompat instead of just plain old activity if you're using the support Fragment. The regular Activity knows nothing about the support fragment and they don't share any common ancestors - just conform to the same interface (not an actual Interface).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
River Ave. Blues » Yankees 9, Orioles 3: Yankees rout O's behind Montgomery
Yankees 9, Orioles 3: Yankees rout O's behind Montgomery
September 16, 2017 by Mike Leave a Comment
Game 148: Beat up on the O's (again)
Attractive Opposites
Make it a season high five consecutive series wins for the Yankees. At 82-66, the Yankees are a season high 16 games over .500, and the magic number to clinch a postseason spot is down to a season low nine games. The Yankees picked up an easy 9-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday afternoon. Since it's Saturday, let's recap with bullet points:
Making Earl Weaver Proud: The Yankees have hit five — five! — three-run home runs in the first three games of this four-game series. Todd Frazier and Aaron Judge (two) combined for three Thursday night, and on Saturday, Didi Gregorius and Greg Bird socked three-run homers of their own. Didi's gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the third and Bird's gave them a 6-0 lead in the fourth. That all happened after the trainer came out to look at Jeremy Hellickson, who remained in the game. He didn't look all that good after the visit and the Yankees took advantage.
Six Strong For Montgomery: Great start for Jordan Montgomery. He needed one too. The last few weeks have been tough. Montgomery completed six innings for the first time since July 25th (eight starts ago) and he did not allow a run for only the second time all season (27 starts). Montgomery held the Orioles to four singles and a walk in his six scoreless innings, and he struck out six. He allowed just one runner to reach second base and none made it as far as third. Way to go, Monty.
Insurance Runs: The Yankees didn't stop at six runs because, well, have you seen the O's pitching staff? Jacoby Ellsbury, who went 3-for-4 and has reached base safely in 28 of his last 52 plate appearances, singled in a run in the fifth inning. Frazier cranked a two-run home run in the seventh inning to make it 9-0 Yankees. That was Frazier's fifth homer in his last eleven games now. The Yankees have outscored the Orioles 30-10 in the series so far.
Leftovers: Scoreless innings from Tommy Kahnle and Ben Heller, then Chasen Shreve walked four and allowed a garbage time two-run homer in the ninth, and Gio Gallegos balked in a run. Whatever … three hits for Didi and Ellsbury, and one each for Brett Gardner, Chase Headley, Frazier, and Bird … Judge drew two walks while Headley and Frazier had one each … Miguel Andujar pinch-hit and grounded out in the ninth. His career MLB batting line went from .750/.800/1.000 to .600/.667/.800. Lost .333 OPS points with one swing … and finally, the Yankees have clinched a winning record for the 25th straight season. That is the second longest such streak in history behind 39 years by the 1926-64 Yankees. If the current streak lasts long enough to match that one, Luis Severino will be 37 when it happens. Crazy.
Here are the box score, video highlights, updated standings, and postseason odds. Don't miss our Bullpen Workload page. Sadly, this four-game series will come to an end Sunday. That's unfortunate. That's a 1pm ET start. CC Sabathia Sonny Gray and Ubaldo Jimenez are the scheduled starting pitchers. The Yankees shuffled the rotation so Sabathia won't have to pitch on the turf in Toronto next weekend.
Filed Under: Game Stories