text:
By Bruce Eder
If James Taylor epitomized the definition and the original, late-'60s incarnation of the term singer/songwriter, Dan Fogelberg exemplified the late-'70s equivalent of that term at its most highly developed and successful, with a string of platinum-selling albums and singles into the early '80s and a long career afterward, interrupted only by a health crisis that led to his untimely death in 2007. He came out of a musical family, born Daniel Grayling Fogelberg on August 13, 1951, in Peoria, IL, where his father was an established musician, teacher, and bandleader. His first instrument was the piano, which he took to well enough, and music mattered to him more than the sports that were the preoccupation of most of the boys around him. At age ten, he was saving and listening to any old records he could find. And if there's a "God-shaped space" in everyone, Fogelberg's was filled with music, something his family might've guessed if they'd seen how much he loved the music in church but was bored by the sermons. His other great passions were drawing and painting. His personal musical turning point came in the early '60s, before he'd reached his teens. A gift of an old Hawaiian guitar from his grandfather introduced him to the instrument that would soon supplant the piano, and at age 12, he heard the Beatles for the first time, which not only led him to a revelation about how electric guitars could sound, but also made him notice for the first time the act of songwriting as something central to what musicians did. It was also at that point that he began picking up on the music of Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly, all of whom were, of course, in the Beatles' repertory.
He started writing songs soon after, and by the time he was 13, he was in a band called the Clan, playing school events with a repertory that mostly consisted of Beatles songs. Of all the members, he was the one who stayed with music, and his taste and interests evolved with the music around him. By the time he was in his mid-teens, he was listening to the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield, and was finding inspiration in the sounds and songs of Gene Clark, Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman, Neil Young, and Richie Furay, among others. His second band, the Coachmen, who'd started out doing Paul Revere & the Raiders-style dance-oriented R&B, evolved into a more progressive folk-rock outfit, even embracing some of Springfield's more ambitious repertory. Yet, somehow, for all of that devotion to music, he didn't plunge directly into the field. Had he been living in California, in Los Angeles or San Francisco, it might've been different, but in the absence of a highly receptive audience, or a surrounding coterie of serious musician friends, or much encouragement anywhere in Peoria to pursue music, he ended up embracing other goals. After finishing high school, it was on to the University of Illinois at Champaign as a drama major, in hopes of an acting career, and then a switch to painting.
This was all going on amid the political agonies of the Vietnam War, which was still going on full-tilt at the time, and Fogelberg wasn't isolated from the tensions over the war as they manifested themselves. He fell back into music through one of the relatively few public centers for what passed for a counterculture in central Illinois, a club called The Red Herring, owned by a friend named Peter Berkow. The latter invited Fogelberg to play, and soon he was building a local audience with his sound and his songs, and it was from that beginning that Fogelberg came to the attention of a University of Illinois alumnus named Irving Azoff, who at the time was managing REO Speedwagon and was thinking that it was time for him to move up to the next level in the music business. One performance by Fogelberg, accompanied by his solo acoustic guitar at an otherwise drunken fraternity event in front of a singularly oblivious audience, sold Azoff on his prospects and the idea that his own future might well be quite favorable if tied to Fogelberg. He moved to Los Angeles and Azoff began the task of getting him signed. In the interim, he played some sessions and even rated a support gig on tour with Van Morrison, in a series of shows that also included Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. His demo tape was good enough to get serious attention from Jerry Moss at A&M Records and David Geffen at the newly established Asylum Records, but it was the legendary Clive Davis, then still at Columbia Records, who got Fogelberg under contract.
Fogelberg's debut album, Home Free (1972), recorded in Nashville, with Norbert Putnam producing, was an embarrassment of riches, musically speaking. It was a sublimely beautiful melding of country-rock with the personal level of a singer/songwriter, reminiscent at times of Gene Clark's solo work, and also encompassing sounds derived from the likes of Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Neil Young, yet never sounding too much like the joint work of those three (or four) and always sounding like Fogelberg. But it was a lot like several other brilliant debut albums to come out of the Columbia Records orbit during Davis' tenure, including Child Is Father to the Man by the original Blood, Sweat & Tears and Greetings from Asbury Park by Bruce Springsteen, in that it never generated a hit single to help drive sales. Everyone who heard the album loved it, but without a single to generate AM radio play, very few people heard it; in Davis' view, fine as it was, Home Free was a little too country-ish for mainstream radio, and fell between the cracks between pop/rock and country playlists. A few years later, after the success of acts such as the Eagles, such distinctions would matter less, but in 1972, the music marketplace was that segregated stylistically.
Fogelberg kept working, mostly as a session musician, turning up on Buffy Saint-Marie's MCA debut LP, Buffy, and on Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky, among other early- to mid-'70s albums. He also managed to continue with Columbia with help from his manager. Azoff's own Full Moon label had a production and distribution deal with Columbia, through its Epic Records imprint, and it was by way of Epic/Full Moon that he got a second chance. This time out, however, Fogelberg would record in Los Angeles with guitarist/producer Joe Walsh. Fogelberg quickly discovered that he had a sympathetic and enthusiastic partner in Walsh, and everything literally fell into place, even Graham Nash's presence (at Walsh's request) singing harmonies on the resulting album, Souvenirs, which featured a range of renowned Los Angeles-based musicians. The results were more than golden -- they ended up double platinum, as "Part of the Plan" reached the Top 20 in 1974 and Souvenirs rode those charts for six months and sold steadily for years after. The album had mostly the same mix of elements as its predecessor, but this time it was widely heard and accepted. The country-flavored rock of "Part of the Plan," the reflective singer/songwriter work of "Song from Half Mountain," the bluegrass-flavored "Morning Sky," and the heavier "As the Raven Flies" (which recalled Neil Young's "Ohio") -- all seemed to fit together perfectly.
Now Fogelberg was a star, leading an Illinois-spawned band called Fool's Gold and touring almost constantly for the next two years. In the midst of it all, he completed a third album, Captured Angel (1975) -- which he produced himself this time -- which showed him extending his sound in more ambitious directions, and in surprising circumstances. It was during 1975 that he'd returned home to spend time with his father, who had been hospitalized, and afterward, while staying in Peoria, cut what were supposed to be demos of the songs he wanted to use on his new album, with Fogelbergplaying every instrument and doing all the vocals. Instead, when Azoff and Davis heard the demos, they insisted that this was the album, and that he could never recapture the feel he'd gotten on songs like "Comes and Goes" working with other musicians. He eventually came to an agreement with the label that the percussion parts would be redone by Russ Kunkel, and the final version of Captured Angel included Norbert Putnam on bass on certain tracks, and Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar and David Lindley on fiddle, plus some string arrangements by Glen Spreen, but otherwise it was truly a Fogelberg solo effort. That album only solidified his fame, as well as making him a special favorite of college students (especially coeds) across the country, and a tour with the Eagles in 1975 -- who, by then, were being managed by Azoff -- only enhanced his profile.
Fogelberg moved to Colorado in the mid-'70s, and his initial time there resulted in the songs that became the basis for his next album, Nether Lands (1977). Ironically, the songs came at the end of an extended dry spell as a songwriter, the first of his adult life. He found himself unable to compose for months, and then, suddenly, he started writing again, but in a much more ornate, elaborately conceived, classically influenced idiom. The songs were bolder both lyrically and musically -- the title track, in particular, was notable for employing the services of composer/arranger Dominic Frontiere in orchestrating it. The album was a hit, and he was still riding that initial wave of recognition and the concertizing that went with it, even if he was now taking the audience in some unexpected directions.
Fogelberg decided at this point to step back a bit -- get off that wave -- and do something purely for his own satisfaction musically. In 1978, he began work on a record that was to be more of a personal indulgence than anything else, the non-commercial side of Dan Fogelberg, sort of his equivalent to those instrumental albums that Frank Sinatra had issued as a conductor a couple of times in his career, or Neil Young's later Everybody's Rockin'. He teamed up on what became a duo album with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg for the album Twin Sons of Different Mothers (1978) -- but instead of being a curio or a footnote in his output, it ended up charting high and generating a huge hit single in the guise of "The Power of Gold" (which, ironically, had been added to the LP at the last minute). The album ended up in the Top 20 and was embraced by critics and the public alike. For the next few years, Fogelberg was literally riding a creative and commercial whirlwind, peaking with his 1980 album Phoenix, which was propelled to platinum status with help from the number two single "Longer." The year before, he also fulfilled a longtime career goal by playing Carnegie Hall in New York, to a sellout audience that included his parents.
Fogelberg's career in the 1980s began with an unexpected turn -- concept albums were common enough by then, but most record labels also tended to strongly discourage the recording of double LPs, owing to the expense and the difficulties in selling and marketing them. But midway through finishing his next album, and with the single "Same Old Lang Syne" already in release and record stores and buyers poised for a new LP, he suddenly decided to expand the planned record, writing new songs and effectively doubling its length, as well as delaying it well into 1981, the better part of a year beyond what the label or his manager had planned on. The result was his boldest production to date, The Innocent Age (1981), a massive project featuring some VIP collaborators (including Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris), from which four hit singles, the earlier "Same Old Lang Syne" plus "Run for the Roses," "Hard to Say," and "Leader of the Band" (the latter a tribute to his father), were ultimately extracted. That album marked his commercial peak, and seemed to end a phenomenally popular and productive phase of his career. As though to mark the transition, the following year Epic released its first hits compilation on Fogelberg, a ten-song LP on which four of the slots were filled by the singles off of The Innocent Age.
It was three years before his next new album, during which time Fogelberg's musical sensibilities evolved in new and more specialized directions. He turned toward more personal and experimental forms of music, none of which proved remotely as popular with the public or with critics as his 1970s work. Additionally, as was the case with many artists of the 1970s and earlier, the playing field was fundamentally altered in the 1980s. MTV and music videos as promotional devices became central to getting exposure and airplay, and recording artists now needed a distinct visual style as well as a sound to make it to the front rank; additionally, a new generation of music critics, most of whom were bent on showing contempt for most of the favored artists of the previous decade or two, were now speaking in the press. His 1984 album Windows and Walls did reach the fans, and even generated a hit in "Language of Love," but got a hostile reception from the critics of the period. And his turn toward bluegrass music, helped in part by his contact with Chris Hillman, who'd also turned back toward his bluegrass roots at the time (and recorded Fogelberg's "Morning Sky" as the title track of his latest album), didn't make him any more accessible to the mainline music critics of the day. The resulting album, High Country Snows (1985), was a good seller and showed off Fogelberg's roots brilliantly, but did nothing to enhance his pop credibility, which had waned considerably over the previous three years.
Fogelberg withdrew somewhat in the years that followed, playing anonymously in bars around Colorado as part of an outfit called Frankie & the Aliens, formed by Joe Vitale. He seemed to be headed back to his teenage roots, and in the process redefined himself musically. When he re-emerged with The Wild Places and the worldbeat-flavored River of Souls in the early '90s, he was writing what amounted to topical songs about the environment, a subject with which he'd become much concerned since moving permanently to Colorado. By that time, he'd established a fully equipped home studio that provided him with the independence that he craved, and he was beholden to the record label merely as a conduit for his work. Epic, for its part, kept releasing Fogelberg's music, including a superb 1991 live album called Greetings from the West, and his earlier albums made perennially popular CD releases. Home Free was also extensively remixed by Norbert Putnam for its CD re-release in 1988 (those desiring to hear the original mix can find it on BGO's U.K. double-CD reissue of Home Free/Souvenirs). Indeed, all of Fogelberg's compact discs reflected an unusual degree of care in their production, especially for Columbia catalog reissues of the era, when the label was often just slapping down the digital masters and batting them out without an eye toward quality.
In 1995, he and Tim Weisberg did another collaboration together, No Resemblance Whatsoever, which seemed to pick up right where their 1978 album had left off without skipping a beat. In 1997, Columbia honored Fogelberg with a four-CD career retrospective compilation entitled Portrait: The Music of Dan Fogelberg from 1972-1997, looking back over his previous 25 years of work. Fogelberg closed out the old century with First Christmas Morning, which saw him plunge several centuries into the past in pursuing traditional holiday music, evoking sounds that, in the context of work from a pop/rock artist, had previously only been heard from Jan Akkerman on his Tabernakel album and the work of the Amazing Blondel, nearly 30 years before. Finally, in 2003, Fogelberg went back to the acoustic singer/songwriter sound of his early career with the appropriately titled Full Circle album. This seemed like the possible opening of a promising new phase to his work and career. Those prospects were dashed in mid-2004, however, when Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, to which he finally succumbed in late 2007.


text:
Israel to confiscate Palestinian land to expand illegal West Bank settlement
An Israeli bulldozer demolishes a Palestinian agricultural piece of land in area "C", in the West Bank town of Hebron, on August 25, 2021 [HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images]
Israeli authorities yesterday approved plans to seize Palestinian agricultural lands belonging to the villages of Qaryut and Al-Sawiya, south of Nablus in northern West Bank, to expand the illegal settlement of El, Anadolu reported.
Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian official in charge of the settlements file in the northern West Bank, told the agency that the Israeli authorities will use the land to build more housing units, public facilities, and roads to serve illegal settlers.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian resident of the village of Qaryut, Bashar Al-Qaryouti, said the Palestinian coordination body has informed him of the Israeli occupation authorities' plans to expand the settlement onto private Palestinian agricultural lands planted with olive trees.
He explained that the Israeli plan was approved without prior announcement and that the villages will submit legal objections.
According to the Israeli human rights movement, Peace Now, there are about 666,000 settlers, 145 large settlements and 140 outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All are illegal under international law.
OPINION: Words of solidarity with the Palestinians and acts of alliance with Israel
More Israeli settlements in Palestine – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.demo.lenovo.testcoolweather.db;

import org.litepal.crud.DataSupport;

/**
 * PROJECT_NAME: TestCoolWeather.
 * PACKAGE_NAME: com.demo.lenovo.testcoolweather.db.
 * Created by vanpersie on 2016/12/12.
 */

public class County extends DataSupport {
    private int id;
    private String countyName;
    private String weatherId;
    private int cityId;

    public int getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(int id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getCountyName() {
        return countyName;
    }

    public void setCountyName(String countyName) {
        this.countyName = countyName;
    }

    public String getWeatherId() {
        return weatherId;
    }

    public void setWeatherId(String weatherId) {
        this.weatherId = weatherId;
    }

    public int getCityId() {
        return cityId;
    }

    public void setCityId(int cityId) {
        this.cityId = cityId;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
La  è una penisola il cui territorio corrisponde a quello della prefettura di Chiba, nell'isola di Honshū, in Giappone. Si estende per circa 130 km nell'Oceano Pacifico, dando forma alla baia di Tokyo a ovest. La penisola ha una larghezza massima di 106 km ed è caratterizzata da ampie valli e basse colline, la cui altezza varia da sud-est (dove raggiungono in media un'altezza di 100 m) a nord-ovest (30 m). La costa è lunga circa 534,4 km e presenta uno scenario variegato: la spiaggia di Kujūkuri si estende lungo il Pacifico nel nord-est, mentre l'altopiano di Shimōsa costituisce il confine settentrionale della penisola insieme alla golena del fiume Tone.

Nella parte meridionale della penisola si trova il parco seminazionale di Minami Bōsō, mentre a nord-est vi è il parco seminazionale di Suigō-Tsukuba, posto al confine tra la prefettura di Ibaraki e quella di Chiba.

A causa della sua vicinanza geografica con la frattura di Sagami (nella baia di Sagami), la penisola è sovente soggetta a terremoti di varia intensità: il terremoto del Genroku del 1703 e quello del Kantō del 1923 furono due dei più forti terremoti che colpirono l'area.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Boso

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Will Fortunoff Buy Bring Good Fortune to NRDC?
News about the retail market is mixed these days, but NRDC Equity Parters L.L.C. apparently sees significant upside in its $100 million acquisition of Fortunoff, the venerable but vulnerable Northeast retailer. Earlier this month, NRDC Equity Partners L.L.C. confirmed plans to buy the struggling Fortunoff chain from Trimaran Capital Partners
News about the retail market is mixed these days, but NRDC Equity Parters L.L.C. apparently sees significant upside in its $100 million acquisition of Fortunoff, the venerable but vulnerable Northeast retailer. Earlier this month, NRDC Equity Partners L.L.C. confirmed plans to buy the struggling Fortunoff chain from Trimaran Capital Partners and Kier Group. Since its founding 86 years ago in Brooklyn, Fortunoff has grown to include 20 jewelry and home furnishings stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. But in recent years Fortunoff has lost ground to newer chains and discount retailers. "Fortunoff is great in this market, but they're not big enough," said Deborah Jackson, executive managing director for Weiser Realty Advisors L.L.C. "It's hard to compete on this level." The acquisition marks the third acquisition of a major chain in the past two years by NRDC Equity Partners, a joint venture of NRDC principals Robert Baker and Richard Baker, and William Mack and Lee Neibart, partners of Apollo Real Estate Advisors L.P. In Oct. 2006, NRDC closed on the acquisition of the Lord & Taylor fashion store chain, and two years ago this month, NRDC bought Linens 'N Things, the home furnishings store. To Jackson, the Fortunoff acquisition sale makes perfect sense in several respects. "The kind of goods that Fortunoff (sells) are the kind of goods that Lord & Taylor needs to broaden its base," she said. In particular, Lord & Taylor may begin stocking jewelry and other selected products carrying the Fortunoff brand. NRDC may also have picked a good time to add Fortunoff to its holdings. Troubled assets with strong potential may be available at good prices, and qualified investors are in a good position to get favorable rates on financing, Jackson noted. NRDC's leaders have suggested in various published reports that they may try to expand Fortunoff's footprint. Yet other retailers are cutting back. During the same week that NRDC's deal for Fortunoff emerged, Charming Shoppes Inc. disclosed plans to shutter 150 of its nearly 2,500 stores. While Jackson said that uncertain economic times do tend to expose weaknesses among retailers, she cautioned against oversimplifying today's situation. "The chains that are doing well are doing a focused expansion," she explained, naming Sephora USA Inc. and Gymboree Corp. as two examples. NRDC itself has previously shown its willingness to expand its holdings. Last June the company revealed plans to redevelop the Lord & Taylor store in Stamford, Conn. The project will expand the existing store by 150,000 square feet, bringing in a 93,000-square-foot Whole Foods outlet, and adding another 55,000 square feet of retail. If NRDC does decide to expand Fortunoff, it has plenty of options. Fortunoff might be a good fit for a conventional mall looking for a new anchor tenant. But Jackson pointed out that new stores could take on other forms, such as a smaller, free-standing pad at a power center. Rather than targeting specific regions or locations, NRDC will likely explore markets offering demographics similar to existing Fortunoff locations, Jackson predicted.


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The MMB8D cabling system consists of the unique MMB8D MiniStageBox and MMLB8D MiniLineBox, DB25 Trunks and the convenient MMBR Rack Adapter for the MMB8D and MMLB8D boxes.
All products in the MMB8D Cabling System use true AES/EBU 110 ohm rugged jacketed cable and all the connectors have strong metal bodies and gold contacts for superior electrical connections.


text:
Leeds Beckett features
Olympians to receive Honorary Doctorates from Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Beckett University is to award Honorary Doctorates to local Olympians, Alistair Brownlee MBE and Jonathan Brownlee next month.
The Brownlee brothers have a long history with Leeds Beckett University. Under the guidance of Director of Triathlon Jack Maitland, who was employed by the Director of Sport and Honorary Graduate Malcolm Brown MBE, they first came to the university to train as triathletes when they were 16 and 14 respectively.
They went on to achieve Olympic glory: in 2012 the Brownlees became the first British brothers in more than 100 years to stand on an Olympic podium together in an individual event.
Sir Bob Murray CBE, Chancellor of Leeds Beckett University said: "Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee have long-standing relationships with our university and we are very proud to have helped them in their journeys toward international sporting success.
"They are still very much part of our local community and I am very pleased that we will be welcoming them back to campus to bestow these awards on them. I hope that their remarkable successes will inspire current and future students to follow in their footsteps."
Leeds Beckett University alumnus, Alistair Brownlee MBE, (MSc Finance 2013) is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
He is also a two-time Triathlon World Champion (2009, 2011), a four-time European Champion (2010, 2011, 2014, 2019), and the 2014 Commonwealth champion. Alistair was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to triathlon.
Jonathan Brownlee won the bronze medal in the Triathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the silver medal in the Triathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He was the 2012 Triathlon World Champion, and the silver medallist in 2013 and 2016.
The brothers are now coached by Ian Mitchell who also works for the university.
Alistair and Jonathan will be awarded Honorary Doctorates in a ceremony at Leeds Beckett University on Friday 8 November.
Photo credits: British Triathlon/Ben Lumley.
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As part of our week-long promotion of our employee assistance programme provided by Health Assured, we want to highlight the support colleagues can access anywhere via the online web portal and mobile app.
Financial and legal support for you
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that never can add up.
Today it's flash 55, with Kerry's addition of using the art work by Nigerian Artist Twins Seven Seven at toads. The dodo was a bird of Mauritius without wings, and the artwork made me think of the dodo, and maybe a little of ourselves, humanity being dodos too. I will also link up to Poetry Pantry tomorrow.
Ah, burning midnight oil writing poetry….I can identify with that! Our deficiencies may never add up, or we may choose not to recognize them. And, yes, we must cope. Somehow we must!
One of my favourite writers on here, I'm always impressed with your penmanship on a subject.
with borrowed blood, – exceptional writing.
If we take to much time noting how we aren't perfect, we will crush all the things that might hatch into something better. Best to keep the good eggs warm, and not worry too much about the cracked ones.
Well the subject matter might be a bit grave – but this is exciting writing! Wonderful use of words; my new favourite Bjorn poem.
Coping. Precious few alternatives. Unless you are a Dodo, I guess.
You take such a strong stand in this poem, Bjorn. Each line is resonant. I love the comparisons and the emblematic dodo says it all.
That is precisely how I felt this weekend! Love the line "counting of deficiencies that never add up".
Yes, that was how we felt, like a dodo – ancient and forgotten!
Yes sometimes we must cope despite deficiencies and hopefully will rise above them!
speeding into bleeding…" and fine use of rhyme, especially the echo at the end.
That first verse… we are the enemy of ourselves.
Poets, unfit like Dodds. I love It!
Oh! I've never met a dodo, so a poet hatching and crushing eggs is going to have to stand in for one. Love the alliteration that keeps me bungling my way toward the end. I feel the same way.
I like the comparison of poets like dodos.
This poem has some wonderful images, Bjorn. That very first one sticks with me: hope as eggs that are eventually crushed. A stark, beautiful thought.
that never can add up……..wow, how this can be translated to aspects of humantiy. I enjoyed this read very much.
Love this Bjorn. I like how your mind works and the thoughts you've come up with here. We are all dodos. So true.
with borrowed blood…..great lines .
"the blindfold driving, speeding into bleeding" – Woozers: an awesome line: it brings to mind, a thousand insanities. .
"…the careful counting of deficiencies that never can add up." Mrs. Jim was treasurer for a fundraising charity that had lunches for its members and guests. The books never would add up to a multiple of the plate costs. The other officers would be unhappy that her books didn't balance. But the trouble was that the people taking in the money didn't account for the "Keep the change" jar. Nor the forgiving of a dollar or two when the person might be a little short.
Strong poem theme through this one. We picked the same painting!
That is a great first stanza, so apt for the image and its title. I was so tempted to choose that image myself – glad I didn't as your poem is superb!
is that how the dodo gone extinct, crushing their own eggs with their weight when they sat on them, and not at the hands of man?
ah..the first stanza. What a powerful statement.


text:
About MSI Integrity
Funding and Financials
People and Partners
Global Research Network on MSIs
Evaluation / Analysis
Analysis and Trends in MSIs
EITI Accountability Mechanisms
EITI Governance
Pilot MSI Evaluations
Tools and Guidance
MSI Evaluation Tool
Database of MSIs
How to Evaluate MSIs: Methods and Best Practices
Current Projects and Events
Events and Public Discussions
Affected Community Experiences of MSIs
What Are MSIs?
Suggest Research and Projects
Release of MSI Evaluation Tool and Essential Elements of MSI Design
Posted on November 15, 2017 Author Madeline HungCategories NEWS UPDATES
Today, MSI Integrity is proud to release the MSI Evaluation Tool in partnership with the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at Harvard Law School. Alongside the Tool, MSI Integrity is also releasing a summary companion document, The Essential Elements of MSI Design.
The MSI Evaluation Tool was developed collaboratively by MSI Integrity and the IHRC through a five-year iterative process of extensive research, practical pilot-testing, and global consultation with the public and experts on MSIs. It provides a framework to evaluate multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) and the effectiveness of their institutional design, structure, and operational procedures.
The Essential Elements of MSI Design is a collated summary of the most essential attributes for global standard-setting MSIs identified in the MSI Evaluation Tool, and is intended to enable a quick, desk-based analysis of an initiative's broad strengths and weaknesses.
The MSI Evaluation Tool
MSIs have become one of the most popular global instruments for addressing business and human rights issues, yet there is little research or understanding into whether these initiatives have been successful or effective as rights protection tools. MSI Integrity and the IHRC sought to fill this knowledge gap by developing a tool that can be used by both external stakeholders and MSIs themselves to evaluate the effectiveness of MSIs. The MSI Evaluation Tool sets out the critical considerations and establishes a methodology for those seeking to thoroughly evaluate an MSI. The Tool and its evaluation methodology draw together current research and practical understandings about MSI structures and processes, recognizing that MSI design features — such as good governance and robust accountability mechanisms — influence an initiative's effectiveness and potential to achieve positive impacts. By systematically and comprehensively examining an MSI's institutional framework, the Tool enables individuals, organizations, and MSIs themselves to better understand and evaluate the capacity of an MSI to effectively address the issues that prompted its creation.
The Tool is divided into seven sections, which reflect the seven core areas of MSI design that have been linked to effectiveness:
Scope and Mandate
Internal Governance
Development and Review of the MSI
Affected Community Involvement
Transparency and Accessibility
Each core area is made up of a comprehensive set of indicators related to the structures and processes that influence an MSI's effectiveness. Users of the Tool can assess if the initiative includes these indicators by following a five-step evaluation methodology to consider whether the structures and frameworks of an initiative have been designed in a way that is capable of leading to positive outcomes and impacts.
In 2013, MSI Integrity conducted a global consultation on a draft of the Tool. More than 100 individuals and organizations provided written comments or participated in one of ten regional meetings in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America. The final version released today builds off the Draft MSI Evaluation Tool (2013) by incorporating feedback related to indicator criteria and clarifying assessment procedures. A summary of each comment received during the 2013 Global Consultation process and the resulting modifications is available here.
The Essential Elements of MSI Design
The MSI Evaluation Tool is a comprehensive framework for evaluating MSIs and the effectiveness of their institutional design, structure, and operational procedures. However, conducting a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation of an initiative is resource-intensive. For individuals or organizations with limited resources, or an interest in developing a basic understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of a given MSI, The Essential Elements of MSI Design is intended as a starting point for analysis and discussion.
The Essential Elements of MSI Design contains the most critical indicators of MSI effectiveness identified in the MSI Evaluation Tool, referred to as the "Essential Elements." Although it does not include other indicators categorized as "Good" or "Innovative" practice for MSIs (which are included in the MSI Evaluation Tool), it provides a summary that could help guide a future evaluation of an MSI's design and could inform the development of new MSIs or revisions to existing ones.
Broader Applications and Future Updates
The MSI Evaluation Tool was developed primarily to evaluate MSIs that were formed in response to human rights concerns and which have reacted to these problems by setting or enforcing standards for member companies and/or governments. However, with some common sense adaptation and modification, the Tool and the Essential Elements of MSI Design can be used for a variety of different purposes and applied beyond standard-setting MSIs with a focus on human rights. For example, they could be used to evaluate MSIs that address environmental or governance issues, or initiatives that serve as collective action networks or learning forums rather than as standard-setting institutions. These documents can also be applied to other accountability or private governance approaches, such as industry codes of conduct or private certification schemes. We encourage such actors to contact MSI Integrity to discuss whether these tools are suitable for a given initiative and, if so, what modifications should be made.
As knowledge and research into MSI effectiveness deepens over time, we anticipate that the Tool will be updated and modified to reflect new understandings. We welcome all interested users of these documents to contact MSI Integrity to share their findings or to seek our input on how to best evaluate an initiative. We also welcome any suggestions, questions, or future applications of the Tool to improve it over time.
Download the MSI Evaluation Tool (2017) here.
Download the Essential Elements of MSI Design here.
MSI Database: A Response to Reflections from the Center for Business and Human Rights at the NYU Stern School of Business
Canary in the Coal Mine: Trump Administration Undermines a Global Anti-Corruption Initiative
"Protecting the Cornerstone" report on Multi-Stakeholder Governance in EITI Published
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Uzbek woman's dress with resist dyed silk warps and red silk wefts. Dimensions: 69 inches across the shoulder and 50 inches high (175 x 127cm), late 19th century. Uzbek ikat dresses are rare. Most surviving garments are robes that open in the front. Dresses have a v-shaped opening at the neck and are otherwise closed in the front. The warp threads are thin and the patterning is intricate and very fine. The dress has seven colors. The ground color is an emerald green that was very difficult to correctly render on the images. Excellent condition.


Seeds Bible Club is a free, weekly club for families that we post here on our website every Sunday evening and with follow-up posts during the week. Our desire is for Seeds Bible Club to be a resource to use with our music and a community for our families learning the Word of God. We want to take away the mystery of teaching (and living out) the Bible with our children every day. Our goal is to see the families who love our music equipped to lead their families in Bible study, Bible memorization, and family worship.
Seeds Bible Club Year 1 – 2014-2015 school year.
Seeds Bible Club Year 2 – 2015-2016 school year.


text:
Oroqen
With a population of 11,590, the Oroqen people group is the third smallest of the 55 ethnic groups in Northern Asia.The ancestors of the Oroqen lived south of the Xing'an Mountains and north of Heilongjiang province. A Russian invasion of the area in the mid-1600s, followed by Japanese occupation in the 1930s and 1940s, drove the Oroqen deep into the mountains and forests of Northern Asia's border region.
For generations, the Oroqen relied on their expert hunting skills for survival and lived in traditional tents called xianrenzhu. They covered the tents with birch bark in the summer and deerskin during the bleak winters, when temperatures sometimes fall below minus 50° Celsius (minus 58°F). In 1996 the Oroqen Autonomous County government banned the hunting of wild animals in order to protect species in severe danger of extinction. Now the Oroqen survive mainly by farming, although some of them are employed in forest protection, deer breeding, husbandry, and tourism.
Due to the massive migration of Northern Asia to the northeast hinterlands, the Oroqen are quickly assimilating into the mainstream culture.
Engagement // What's Happening Now
There are very few believers among the Oroqen, Shamanism is the main religion which many practice. Shaman in Oroqen means "agitated" or "frenzied" person. Oroqen worship animals who they believe are blood relatives.* A few years ago, for the first time, gospel recordings were recorded in the Oroqen language and through the work of a partner ministry a breakthrough began and a few Oroqen became followers of Jesus.
Sustainability // The Bigger Story
Live Dead China focuses on reaching many of these people groups by planting communities of faith among them.
Visit Live Dead to join in reaching the Oroqen.
Partnership // Move Beyond
Please spend a few minutes in prayer for:
Pray for resources in the Oroqen language, currently, a full bible does not exist in their language.
Pray for the few believers among the Oroqen, that they may have opportunities to be light in the darkness.
Pray for more global workers to join in reaching the Oroqen.
Pray that the Oroqen, who have been pushed into the forest and forced to assimilate into another culture, would find a place in Christ.
Photo source: Joshua Project
Return to Northern Asia Region
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The Virginia Environmental Law Journal marked its 25th anniversary with an interdisciplinary conference March 29-31 that addressed the challenges facing environmental advocates in the next quarter century.
The conference, which featured lectures, panel discussions, and a community service park clean-up, included topics such as the 9/11 fund and its impact on environmental risk and regulation (with Ken Feinberg, former Special Master of the September 11 Victim's Compensation Fund and an adjunct professor at U.Va. Law); community gardens and open spaces in low-income and minority neighborhoods (with NYU law professor Vicki Been); environmental advocacy in the southeastern United States; environmental legislation; and environmental risk assessment and management.
Introductory Remarks by U.Va. Law Dean John C. Jeffries Jr.
Current issues in environmental law, protection, and management.
With the National Advisory Board members regarding their role in the journal and in developing future environmental law practitioners.
Announcement of 250 hour pro bono initiative and projects that are available, as well as those which have been completed. Co-sponsored with the Virginia Environmental Law Forum and the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center.
Speakers lent perspective on the history of the environmental movement and especially the development of the environmental legal field.


Ready to buy a new home in Silverton? Failing to check that a lawyer is on your lender's list of approved solicitors can put your Silverton home move at risk of delay or failure.
Only LenderPanel.com provides a subset of authorised Silverton conveyancers for over 130 lenders.
My fiance's brother is a conveyancer. I suspect that I will receive mate's fee for conveyancing, but if not, what level of figure would I typically be looking at for conveyancing in Silverton?
It's a good idea to seek 3 or more like-for-like conveyancing quotes. Make use of our search tool on this site. You will notice that charges seem to contrast greatly but the service one can expect differ between conveyancers as is true with most professions.
Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Silverton or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for friction between you and others involved in the transaction. For example, the seller, selling agent and on occasion a bank. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Silverton an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the process whose responsibility is to act in your legal interests and to protect you.
Sometimes a third party with a vested interest will attempt to sway you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For instance, the selling agent may claim to be helping by suggesting your lawyer is wrong. Or your financial adviser may advise you to do take action that is against your conveyancers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the home moving process.
We expect to receive a DIP from HSBC this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do HSBC recommend any Silverton solicitors on the HSBC conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Silverton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the HSBC conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and HSBC through the process.
I can not work out if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Silverton bank branch on various occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Silverton conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend based on their published requirements. Who do I believe?
As long as the conveyancer is on the mortgage company approved list, she or he must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders' Handbook provisions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Silverton. My financial adviser suggested a lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Soon after, the solicitor called me to say that they were not on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
About to purchase a new build flat in Silverton. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees' solicitors' offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee's obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee's covenants.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Silverton. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.
If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Silverton - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
The majority of Silverton leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the management company. If you purchase the flat you will have to pay this amount, usually quarterly during the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive. What prohibitions are there in the Silverton Lease?


Freedom by Susan Schumann - 10.000" x 6.625"
Freedom metal print by Susan Schumann. Bring your artwork to life with the stylish lines and added depth of a metal print. Your image gets printed directly onto a sheet of 1/16" thick aluminum. The aluminum sheet is offset from the wall by a 3/4" thick wooden frame which is attached to the back. The high gloss of the aluminum sheet complements the rich colors of any image to produce stunning results.
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I like to photograph things at different times of year. I try to show the beauty of things we'd normally pass right by or step right over. Even though these once flowers are now dead, they are still beautiful blowing freely!


text:
package notify

import (
	"github.com/caicloud/cyclone/api"
	"github.com/caicloud/cyclone/notify/provider"
	"github.com/caicloud/cyclone/pkg/log"
	"github.com/caicloud/cyclone/pkg/osutil"
)

const (
	// Env variables name about EmailNotifier.
	// SMTP_SERVER is the env name for SMTP_SERVER.
	SMTP_SERVER = "SMTP_SERVER"
	// SMTP_PORT is the env name for SMTP_PORT.
	SMTP_PORT = "SMTP_PORT"
	// SMTP_USERNAME is the env name for SMTP_USERNAME.
	SMTP_USERNAME = "SMTP_USERNAME"
	// SMTP_PASSWORD is the env name for SMTP_PASSWORD.
	SMTP_PASSWORD = "SMTP_PASSWORD"
)

// Manager is an asynchronous event manager which records incoming events,
// dispatches events with bookkeeping.
type Manager struct {
	emailNotifier *provider.EmailNotifier
}

var (
	// Env variables about EmailNotifier.
	smtpServer       = osutil.GetStringEnv(SMTP_SERVER, "smtp-default-server")
	smtpPort         = osutil.GetIntEnv(SMTP_PORT, 465)
	smtpUserame      = osutil.GetStringEnv("SMTP_USERNAME", "default-username")
	smtpPassword     = osutil.GetStringEnv(SMTP_PASSWORD, "default-password")
	smtpServerConfig = api.SMTPServerConfig{
		SMTPServer:   smtpServer,
		SMTPPort:     smtpPort,
		SMTPUsername: smtpUserame,
		SMTPPassword: smtpPassword,
	}
)

// newManager return a new NotifyManager, which has a EmailNotifier instance.
func newManager(SMTPServer string, SMTPPort int, SMTPUsername, SMTPPassword string) (*Manager, error) {
	emailNotifier, err := provider.NewEmailNotifier(SMTPServer, SMTPPort, SMTPUsername, SMTPPassword)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return &Manager{
		emailNotifier: emailNotifier,
	}, nil
}

// Notify sends email to user.
func Notify(service *api.Service, version *api.Version, versionLog string) {
	nManager, err := newManager(smtpServerConfig.SMTPServer, smtpServerConfig.SMTPPort,
		smtpServerConfig.SMTPUsername, smtpServerConfig.SMTPPassword)
	if err != nil {
		log.Warnf("NotifyManager init error: %v", err)
		return
	}
	if err := nManager.emailNotifier.Notify(service, version, versionLog); err != nil {
		log.Warnf("NotifyManager notify error: %v", err)
		return
	}
}

// shouldSendNotifyEvent decides whether cyclone should send notify event.
func shouldSendNotifyEvent(service *api.Service, version *api.Version) bool {
	setting := service.Profile.Setting
	if setting == api.SendWhenFinished {
		return true
	} else if setting == api.SendWhenFailed &&
		(version.Status == api.VersionFailed ||
			version.YamlDeployStatus == api.DeployFailed ||
			deployPlansFailed(version)) {
		return true
	}
	// TODO: Add other settings.
	return false
}

// deployPlansFailed return true if version's deploy plans are all successful.
func deployPlansFailed(version *api.Version) bool {
	for _, plan := range version.DeployPlansStatuses {
		if plan.Status == api.DeployFailed {
			return true
		}
	}
	return false
}


#FoodReview - Here's Why The Newbie Cafeteria & Co. Gives Seasoned Favs A Run For Their Money!
Figuratively the jewellery house of restaurants and cafes, Hudson Lane seems to be one place Delhiites can't get enough of. From the people running QD's and Rico's comes another delectable casual dining restaurant that has been wooing people around town.
We got ourselves a brunch date with Cafeteria and Co. and we're here to take you through it!
As soon as you enter, the place strikes you as being very tastefully done and airy. The unique decor captures your attention with the mish-mash of colours that compliment each other very well. We arrived fairly early and the place went from two tables to full capacity in about less than an hour.
The menu seemed very interesting with many Mexican undertones and we couldn't help ourselves from ordering a feast!
The dish was made of tender chicken cooked in a dense gravy full of vegetables. It had a nice smoky flavour that made us reach out for more. The top was covered with cheese that balanced the smokiness perfectly. You could taste chicken in every bite so even the quantity of the star of the dish was significant. A good start indeed.
If you imagine almost burnt cubes of paneer served with thick vegetables when you think of Paneer Tikka, this fusion offering is about to surprise you! Nicely charred paneer blocks separated sequentially by all three colours of bell peppers, this dish had hints of Peri Peri while maintaining the essential Punjabi taste. The spicy onion salad and tangy pudina chutney added a good variation too. Brownie points for the thoughtful plating!
Mushrooms are a thing that people either love or hate, but this mushroom centered dish will be appreciated by all! A stuffing of vegetables inside mushrooms coated and served with some deep fried goodness, the sauce made the dish memorable as it had a very striking yet likable flavour to it. The quantity seamed less when compared to the other starters but that was the only bone we could find in this fish!
Following their mantra of doing things differently, the perfectly hexagon shaped pizza didn't fail to leave a mark. The base was on the thinner side but still didn't have that rock hard side crust that thin crust pizzas usually do. Judiciously laden with smoky mutton chunks, the pizza was quite filling. The spices were nice and had Mexican flavours too. Overall we felt it needed some more vegetables to counter the redundancy that comes with the size and amount of mutton.
A unique starry burger served in an apple shaped plate gives the good ol' burger a peppy makeover. It was actually a paneer based burger served with spicy fries and another stellar sauce. The fries were crunchy and tasty, the patty was similar to the Peri Peri Paneer Tikka but became a little bland like every other paneer burger after a few bites without the sauce. The presentation was truly the star of this dish!
To counter all the heaviness that came from gorging on the dishes, these two beverages were a refreshing change. The Paan and Basil flavoured Iced Tea is a perfect summer cooler that should be tried. The Tiramisu Shake had a thick consistency and a delightful flavour - it definitely can't be missed!
Cafeteria & Co. offers a range of crepe options including mixed berries, banana, nutella and chocolate roll ups. Combining two beloved delicacies i.e. Tiramisu and Crepe resulted in this heavenly dessert. Amazingly thin crepes with tiramisu flavoured cream topping sprinkled with powdered sugar and chocolate - the dessert was a vision to behold! Don't miss out on this gem.
Very scarcely do you find a place that provides good food, an even better ambience, and the right kinda vibes. Cafeteria & Co. hits the sweet spot in all these categories making it a favourite in the area! This new kid on the block is definitely running for glory and will be giving seasoned favorites a tough fight - go check it out for yourselves!


text:
Track a Manuscript
About Haematologica
Dynamic prediction of bleeding risk in thrombocytopenic preterm neonates
Susanna F. Fustolo-Gunnink, Karin Fijnvandraat, Hein Putter, Isabelle M. Ree, Camila Caram-Deelder, Peter Andriessen, Esther J. d'Haens, Christian V. Hulzebos, Wes Onland, André A. Kroon, Daniël C. Vijlbrief, Enrico Lopriore, Johanna G. van der Bom
Haematologica November 2019 104: 2300-2306; doi:10.3324/haematol.2018.208595
Susanna F. Fustolo-Gunnink
Sanquin/LUMC, Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Leiden Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost
Karin Fijnvandraat
Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Department of Plasma Proteins, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam
Hein Putter
Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Medical Statistics, Leiden
Isabelle M. Ree
Leiden University Medical Center, Willem Alexander Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Leiden
Camila Caram-Deelder
Sanquin/LUMC, Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Leiden
Peter Andriessen
Máxima Medical Center, Department of Neonatology, Veldhoven
Esther J. d'Haens
Isala Zwolle, Amalia Children's Center, Department of Neonatology, Zwolle
Christian V. Hulzebos
University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Groningen
Wes Onland
Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost
André A. Kroon
Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Rotterdam
Daniël C. Vijlbrief
University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Utrecht
Enrico Lopriore
Johanna G. van der Bom
Sanquin/LUMC, Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Leiden Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Department of Plasma Proteins, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Medical Statistics, Leiden Leiden University Medical Center, Willem Alexander Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Leiden Máxima Medical Center, Department of Neonatology, Veldhoven Isala Zwolle, Amalia Children's Center, Department of Neonatology, Zwolle University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Groningen Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Rotterdam University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Utrecht Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden, the Netherlands
For correspondence: j.g.vanderbom@lumc.nl
Susanna F. Fustolo-Gunnink1,2,
Karin Fijnvandraat2,3,
Hein Putter4,
Isabelle M. Ree5,
Camila Caram-Deelder1,
Peter Andriessen6,
Esther J. d'Haens7,
Christian V. Hulzebos8,
Wes Onland9,
André A. Kroon10,
Daniël C. Vijlbrief11,
Enrico Lopriore5 and
Johanna G. van der Bom1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12⇑
1Sanquin/LUMC, Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Leiden
2Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost
3Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Department of Plasma Proteins, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam
4Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Medical Statistics, Leiden
5Leiden University Medical Center, Willem Alexander Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Leiden
6Máxima Medical Center, Department of Neonatology, Veldhoven
7Isala Zwolle, Amalia Children's Center, Department of Neonatology, Zwolle
8University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Groningen
9Amsterdam University Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Amsterdam-Zuidoost
10Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Rotterdam
11University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Utrecht
12Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden, the Netherlands
J.G. VAN DER BOM j.g.vanderbom{at}lumc.nl
Over 75% of severely thrombocytopenic neonates receive platelet transfusions, though little evidence supports this practice, and only 10% develop major bleeding. In a recent randomized trial, giving platelet transfusions at a threshold platelet count of 50x109/L compared to a threshold of 25x109/L was associated with an increased risk of major bleeding or mortality. This finding highlights the need for improved and individualized guidelines on neonatal platelet transfusion, which require accurate prediction of bleeding risk. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a dynamic prediction model for major bleeding in thrombocytopenic preterm neonates. This model allows for calculation of bleeding risk at any time-point during the first week after the onset of severe thrombocytopenia. In this multicenter cohort study, we included neonates with a gestational age <34 weeks, admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, who developed severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <50x109/L). The study endpoint was major bleeding. We obtained predictions of bleeding risk using a proportional baselines landmark supermodel. Of 640 included neonates, 71 (11%) had a major bleed. We included the variables gestational age, postnatal age, intrauterine growth retardation, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, platelet count and mechanical ventilation in the model. The median cross-validated c-index was 0.74 (interquartile range, 0.69-0.82). This is a promising dynamic prediction model for bleeding in this population that should be explored further in clinical studies as a potential instrument for supporting clinical decisions. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03110887).
Neonatal major bleeding occurs in approximately 5-15% of preterm neonates admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit and can lead to lifelong disabilities and death. The most common type of bleeding is intraventricular hemorrhage.1,2
Since platelets are required for primary hemostasis, preterm neonates with severe thrombocytopenia are thought to be particularly at risk of major bleeding. However, the associations between thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusions and bleeding in preterm neonates are not clear. In a recently published systematic review, only six studies could be included. These provided insufficient evidence to assess whether platelet counts are causally related to major bleeding, or whether platelet transfusions reduce bleeding risk in thrombocytopenic preterm neonates.3 Despite this lack of evidence, platelet transfusions are given to approximately 75% of thrombocytopenic preterm neonates.4,5
Recently, the results of the first randomized trial assessing currently used platelet count thresholds in preterm infants was published. The trial showed that giving prophylactic transfusions of platelets at a platelet count threshold of 50x109/L was associated with an increased risk of bleeding and mortality compared to a lower threshold of 25x109/L, within 28 days after randomization.6 These results highlight the need for improved and individualized guidelines on platelet transfusion in neonates.
In addition to lack of evidence regarding transfusion thresholds and identification of platelet transfusion-related harm, indications for platelet transfusions are based primarily on platelet count. However, two neonates with similar platelet counts but different clinical conditions may have very different risks of bleeding, and benefit differently from platelet transfusions.7 We need to be able to predict which neonates will develop major bleeding and quantify this bleeding risk, using a model that includes not only platelet count but also a set of relevant clinical variables. Such a prediction model could be used to define indications for transfusion in future studies, which is a first step towards individualized platelet transfusion therapy.
Some prediction models for bleeding in neonates have already been developed, but these models were not derived specifically for neonates with thrombocytopenia, and only allow for a risk assessment at baseline.8–15 The disadvantage of baseline prediction models is that they do not take into account the clinical course of the neonate, which can change substantially over time, and may have a profound impact on bleeding risk. In dynamic predictions, the clinical course can be incorporated into the model. The objective of this study was, therefore, to develop a dynamic prediction model for major bleeding in thrombocytopenic preterm neonates.
The study protocol was published online at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03110887). The institutional review board of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam approved the study and waived the need for informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and reported according to The Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) guidelines.16 An extended methods section is available in the Online Supplementary Materials, including the procedure for predictor selection, outcome definitions, a list of participating centers with an overview of their clinical practice, description of the data acquisition process, sample size calculations, details on statistical methods and the role of the funding source.
We performed a cohort study among consecutive preterm neonates with thrombocytopenia admitted to any one of seven participating neonatal intensive care units in the Netherlands between January 2010 and January 2015. The cohort comprised all neonates with a gestational age at birth <34 weeks and at least one platelet count <50x109/L. We excluded patients: (i) with severe congenital malformations; (ii) for whom there was a high suspicion of spurious platelet count (e.g. clots in the sample, or spontaneous platelet count recovery within 6 h, or a platelet count labeled as spurious in the medical file); (iii) with thrombocytopenia occurring exclusively in the context of exchange transfusion; (iv) with a prior admission to another neonatal intensive care unit or readmission; and (v) who had major bleeding prior to severe thrombocytopenia. Neonates with major bleeding after the end of the follow-up were not excluded, but registered as not having experienced major bleeding during the study.
Model development and statistics
The core research team drafted and approved a statistical analysis plan prior to the data analysis. We developed a proportional baseline landmark supermodel, with bleeding within the subsequent 3 days as the outcome.17 Variables included in the model were gestational age, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), mechanical ventilation, platelet count, platelet transfusion, postnatal age at inclusion, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and/or sepsis (combined).
We validated the model by internal calibration using the heuristic shrinkage factor described by van Houwelingen et al.18 We evaluated the model's accuracy in correctly discriminating between patients with and without major bleeding using the dynamic cross-validated c-index. A c-index of 1.0 indicates perfect discrimination, while a c-index of 0.5 is obtained when the model performs as well as chance. We calculated a c-index at each 2 h time-point, and reported this series of c-indices as a graph. Analyses were carried out using SPSS (version 24.0), Stata (version 14.1) and R (version 3.4.2).
Clinical applicability of the model
Our study is a first, basic prediction model for major bleeding in preterm neonates with severe thrombocytopenia. Due to the dynamic nature of the model, it cannot be fully summarized in one table, but once validation studies have been performed, we will develop an online calculator. We have chosen not to publish the calculator along with this paper, in order to prevent inappropriate premature use of the model in clinical practice. The model is available upon request for researchers looking to perform model validation and impact studies.
Of 9,333 neonates with a gestational age <34 weeks, 927 had at least one platelet count <50x109/L. Of these, 67 were excluded due to spurious platelet counts and 29 because thrombocytopenia occurred only during a readmission. Of the remaining 831 neonates, 191 were excluded based on major bleeding prior to thrombocytopenia (n=55), previous admission to another neonatal intensive care unit (n=51), congenital malformations (n=47), missing medical files (n=35) and because thrombocytopenia occurred exclusively during exchange transfusion (n=3). The remaining 640 neonates (7%) were included in the study (Figure 1). The median gestational age at birth was 28.1 weeks, the median birth weight was 900 grams (Table 1 and Online Supplementary Figures S1 and S2) and 73% of the neonates received at least one platelet transfusion. No cases of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia were identified. The lowest platelet counts during study for neonates with and without major bleeding are reported in Online Supplementary Figure S3.
CONSORT flow chart. CONSORT: consolidated standards of reporting trials; NICU: neonatal intensive care unit.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort (n=640).
Major bleeds
A total of 71 (11%) major bleeds occurred, of which 55 were intraventricular hemorrhages and other intracerebral hemorrhages, 12 were pulmonary hemorrhages and four were gastrointestinal hemorrhages (Table 2). The major bleeds occurred at a median of 1 day (interquartile range, 1-4) after the onset of severe thrombocytopenia. At the end of the 10-day follow-up period, 73 patients (11%) had died, 63 (10%) had developed major bleeding and 93 (15%) had been discharged or transferred (Figure 2). Of the 93 discharged neonates, 76 (82%) were discharged to a stepdown unit. Ninety-one percent of the neonates underwent at least one ultrasound scan, with a mean of two scans during the 10-day follow-up period. In four neonates, major intracranial hemorrhage was already diagnosed on the first ultrasound scan after birth, on the first day of life.
Types of bleeding.
Number of neonates reaching the different study endpoints (major bleeding, death or discharge/transfer) in the first 10 days after the onset of severe thrombocytopenia. T0 is the day on which the platelet count dropped below 50x109/L for the first time. Neonates who developed a major bleed and then died were only registered as having major bleeding (no overlap between major bleeding and mortality).
Model development
The model contained 12 variables: all seven selected variables, plus the interaction term between platelet count and transfusion, plus interactions between time and IUGR and time and platelet count (both linear and quadratic). Platelet count was converted to a log-scale. The number of major bleeds included in the model was 63, because eight bleeds occurred more than 10 days after T0 (Table 2).
Final model
The median c-index of the final model was 0.74 (interquartile range, 0.69 - 0.82) (Figure 3). This indicates good predictive performance. An example of a risk-estimation by the model is shown in Figure 4, a plot of bleeding risk of two neonates with distinct risk profiles. During study days 1-3, the predicted risk of major bleeding within the subsequent 3 days in child A is substantially higher than that in child B, indicating that the use of this prediction model during that time-period would have correctly identified child A as being at high risk of bleeding. This image also illustrates that bleeding risk can increase or decrease rapidly. Table 3 shows the details of the model. A hazard ratio >1 indicates that the increase of a risk fac tor is associated with a higher risk of bleeding, and a hazard ratio <1 indicates that the increase of a risk factor is associated with a lower risk of bleeding. The effects of platelet count and IUGR varied over time, while the effects of all other variables were constant over time. Table 4 shows predicted risks of bleeding for different clinical scenarios.
Dynamic, cross-validated c-index. This graph represents the dynamic, cross-validated c-index of the main model. A c-index of 1 resembles a model that discriminates perfectly between patients with and without major bleeding, while a c-index of 0.5 indicates that the prediction is as good as chance. For each time-point, the number at risk at the beginning of that day has been reported, as well as the total number of major bleeds that occurred during those 24 hours. For example, at the start of day 1, the number of patients still at risk was 604, and during this day 22 neonates developed a major bleed.
Change in probability of having a major bleed within 3 days for two example patients. Day 0 is the day of onset of severe thrombocytopenia (T0). Characteristics of child A: gestational age (weeks+days) 27+2, birthweight 1100 grams, 2 days old at T0, sepsis, mechanical ventilation, two platelet transfusions, platelet counts (x109/L): 41, 104, 47, and 88. Bilateral grade III intraventricular hemorrhage on day 2. Characteristics of child B: gestational age (weeks+days) 32+3, birth weight 1175 grams, 5 days old at T0, sepsis, no mechanical ventilation, no platelet transfusions, platelet counts (x109/L) 4, 53, 49, 63, 195 and 376. No major bleed. Days 3-7 not shown because no substantial change in bleeding risk occurred. During study days 1-3, the predicted risk of major bleeding within the subsequent 3 days is substantially higher in child A than in child B, indicating that the use of this prediction model during that time-period would have correctly identified child A as being at a high risk of bleeding.
The dynamic prediction model.
Risk predictions for different clinical scenarios.
None of the sensitivity analyses resulted in substantial changes in hazard ratios for the individual covariates, indicating that our model is robust (Online Supplementary Table S3).
In this study, we developed a dynamic prediction model for major bleeding in thrombocytopenic preterm neonates. The model has a good predictive performance with a median c-index of 0.74. To our knowledge, this is the first dynamic prediction model for bleeding in preterm neonates.
The importance of using a dynamic model is illustrated by a recent survey assessing at which thresholds clinicians would administer a platelet transfusion to a preterm neonate with a gestational age of 27 weeks at birth.19 The study showed that if this neonate was 2 days old and in a stable condition, most (European) clinicians would transfuse at a threshold platelet count of 30x109/L. However, if the same neonate was septic, mechanically ventilated and receiving vasopressors, most clinicians would transfuse at a threshold of 50x109/L. This illustrates that although neonates may have a comparable clinical status at baseline (gestational age 27 weeks), their clinical course in the following days is perceived as an important determinant of bleeding risk. We have developed a model that allows clinicians to quantify bleeding risk and adjust it as the clinical situation of the neonate changes.
Future validation studies should externally validate and preferably expand the model, to improve its predictive accuracy. Once a larger, externally validated model has been developed, it can be used to study the effect of platelet transfusion indications based on predicted risk of bleeding in an impact study. Ultimately, this is a first step towards individualized platelet transfusion guidelines. Individualized guidelines are important because several studies have shown that there is a large discrepancy between the number of thrombocytopenic neonates receiving platelet transfusions (75%) and the number of neonates who develop major bleeding (9%).5,20 These numbers are comparable to our results: 70% of neonates received transfusions and 11% developed major bleeding. In addition, results of a recent randomized trial indicate platelet transfusion-related harm when using a platelet count threshold of 50x109/L compared to 25x109/L. Although the overall results of this study showed benefit associated with the low threshold, not all neonates in the high threshold group developed major bleeding or died. Moreover, 19% of neonates in the low threshold group died or developed major bleeding. This indicates that a platelet count-based transfusion threshold does not accurately separate neonates whose bleeding or death will be prevented by a platelet transfusion. A threshold that includes clinical variables, such as one based on our dynamic prediction model, might perform better and thereby improve outcomes.
It is important to note that individual covariates in the model should not be interpreted as causal associations, because the associations may be confounded in multiple ways. For example, IUGR was associated with lower predicted bleeding risk in our model, but we cannot conclude that IUGR protects against bleeding. Firstly, because IUGR is also a risk factor for thrombocytopenia, and we restricted our population to neonates with thrombocytopenia. It is possible that other causes of thrombocytopenia, for example viral infections, are associated with a higher risk of bleeding than that of IUGR. A neonate with thrombocytopenia as a result of IUGR is therefore not protected by IUGR, but has a lower bleeding risk because the thrombocytopenia was not caused by a viral infection. This is an epidemiological concept called collider stratification bias.21 Secondly, perhaps neonates with IUGR received more treatments intended to decrease the risk of bleeding as compared to neonates without IUGR, as neonatologists perceived them to be at higher risk of bleeding (confounding by indication). And lastly, because the number of events in our study was limited, we were not able to correct for all possible confounders. In short, the association between IUGR and bleeding is complex, our model only indicates that it is a good predictor for bleeding, but we cannot draw any causal conclusion based on this information. This applies to all individual covariates in the model.
Various possible limitations of our study need to be discussed. Firstly, we could not externally validate our model because a similar database is currently not available. Secondly, identification of prognostic variables could possibly have been improved with a prior systematic review assessing all potential predictors. However, despite this limitation, our model contains variables generally considered best candidates for predicting major bleeding, as many of them were included in various existing baseline models. Some variables, such as mean platelet volume and immature platelet count, could not be included in our model because they were not routinely measured. Thirdly, the time a major bleed occurs is not similar to the time it is diagnosed on an ultrasound scan, because major intracranial bleeds in neonates are often asymptomatic, and detected during routine screening. To address this issue, we performed two additional sensitivity analyses, one in which we corrected time of bleeding based on whether or not minor bleeding was visible on prior ultrasound scans, and one in which we removed events for which we could not determine whether they occurred prior to or after the bleeding. Results of these analyses showed only minor changes in hazard ratios of individual coefficients, suggesting that this problem does not substantially affect the predictive power of our model (Online Supplementary Table S3). Fourthly, after day 6, the c-index drops below 0.60, possibly due to a lower event rate, therefore the model should be applied with caution after day 6. We hypothesize that the variation in predictive accuracy over time, depicted in Figure 2, may be caused by a balance between having enough clinical information to predict (difficult on days 1 and 2), and enough events to fit a good model (difficult after day 4). Fifthly, the risk of bleeding in neonates in our population may have been affected by treatment with platelet transfusions. Therefore, the risks calculated using our model may be an underestimation of the 'true' risk (without transfusion). However, there are no cohorts available in which platelet transfusions were not administered and various studies, including the previously described randomized controlled trial, suggest that the effect of platelet transfusions on bleeding risk may be limited.6,22–24 We therefore estimate that our model's predictions are accurate. Finally, four neonates had a gestational age at birth of less than 24 weeks. In addition, local policies differed with respect to active support for neonates born at a gestational age between 24+0 and 25+6 weeks. Therefore, the neonates with a gestational age less than 26 weeks in our population might be a selection of neonates for whom good out comes were expected. The model should thus be applied with caution in neonates with a gestational age of less than 26 weeks.
Strengths of our study are the size of the cohort and the fact that we selected the predictors prior to data analysis rather than performing a stepwise selection. In addition, our data collection was meticulous and we performed multiple additional sensitivity analyses to confirm the robustness of our model. Our model is easy to apply, because we have used clear and simple definitions of the covariates. Once the model has been externally validated, we will develop an online calculator, with which it should only take a few minutes to enter the variables and calculate absolute risk of bleeding.
In short, this dynamic prediction model allows clinicians to quantify bleeding risk and adjust it as the clinical situation of the neonate changes. Risk can be predicted at any time-point during the first week after the onset of severe thrombocytopenia. This is a promising model that should be explored in future studies, as it is a first step towards individualized platelet transfusion guidelines.
This research was supported by grant PPOC-12-012027 from Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The sponsor of this study is a nonprofit organization that supports science in general. It had no role in gathering, analyzing, or interpreting the data. SFFG is a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam. This work has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the PhD. We thank Sahile Makineli and Nick van Hijum, both medical students at the time of this study, for their contribution to data collection and data analysis. We also thank Yavanna Oostveen, data manager, for her contribution to the data management.
Check the online version for the most updated information on this article, online supplements, and information on authorship & disclosures: www.haematologica.org/content/104/11/2300
Received October 9, 2018.
Accepted February 27, 2019.
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Digging up embarrassing photos and videos of new hires and signings is a thing we like to do here at RMNB. Recall last summer, when George McPhee hired Adam Oates as the team's new head coach we shared video of Oates guest-starring in an episode of Nickelodeon's GUTS. With 19-year-old Tom Wilson joining the Capitals and potentially making his debut in game five on Friday night, here's a photo of Wilson fishing as a kid.
Please observe that multi-colored bead necklace Wilson is wearing. I'm going to go out on the limb and say he made it with his own nimble fingers. How else would one build up the hand-eye coordination to punch someone in the face once one grows up? And the kid is ripped. As a kid I was taller than most of my classmates, but I never looked like Rambo.
Congratulations to Tom. Best of luck –whenever you actually play.


I love to solve problems. The bigger the problem, the better. As a child, I would constantly find myself trying to build things bigger, stronger, with more intentionality and usefulness. Throughout my career, I've worn many hats and learned to speak the varied languages of marketer, programmer, designer, researcher, communicator, analyst, executive, and strategist. All so I could dive headfirst into greater challenges and bigger problems.
It's no wonder I now lead Breyta, a multi-million dollar consultancy designed to solve problems and drive change. At Breyta we have Big Ideas, and we're consumed with the possibilities of innovation and user-centered outcomes. Whether it's the Internet, intranet, mobile, social, or any other digital medium, we don't just come up with ideas, we execute – because execution is what matters.
If you have a problem to solve, or like talking about possibilities as much as I do, connect with me!


text:
David Vitter Nods At His Own Prostitution Scandal In TV Ad (VIDEO)
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), a candidate for Louisiana governor, nodded to his 2007 prostitution scandal in a TV ad released Monday.
"Fifteen years ago I failed my family, but found forgiveness and love," Vitter said in the 30-second spot. "I learned that our falls aren't what define us, but rather how we get up, accept responsibility and earn redemption."
Vitter's Democratic opponent, state Rep. John Bel Edwards, released an ad last week that slammed the senator for prioritizing "prostitutes over patriots." The ad claimed that Vitter took a call from a prostitute "minutes after he skipped a vote honoring 28 soldiers who gave their lives in defense of our freedom."
The senator copped to a "very serious sin" in 2007, after his phone number appeared on the client list of the so-called "D.C. Madam."
The details of the Vitter campaign's ad buy were unclear. The runoff election is Nov. 21.
Watch below:


text:
Gov't has not directed police to shoot and kill-Avoka
Kumasi, December 19, GNA - Mr. Cletus Avoka Minister of the Interior, has stated that the government has not instructed the police to shoot and kill as way of combating armed robbery in the country as is being speculated in some quarters.
He, however, emphasized that police personnel were at liberty to defend themselves when their lives and that of other innocent citizens are under threat from armed robbers and other criminals.
"The fact that they are security men does not mean they don't deserve to live and government will not expose them to unnecessary danger."
The Minister also hinted that Immigration officers at the country's border posts will be armed with small arms to defend themselves and others during their night patrols.
Mr. Cletus Avoka was speaking at a joint durbar of security service agencies in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi on Saturday.
The durbar formed part of the Minister's tour of security installations and units in the Ashanti region.
The Minister visited the Regional offices of the Ghana National Fire Service, Immigration Service, the Prisons Service, NADMO offices and the Regional Police Headquarters.
Mr. Avoka praised security agencies in the Ashanti Region, for their untiring efforts that has resulted in crime reduction in the region.
He said it was through sacrifices in the face of the numerous challenges that had made the agencies, especially Police Service able to combat crimes resulting in the relative peace being enjoyed by residents.
The Minister pointed out that the government was satisfied with their performance and asked them not to be complacent, especially during the yuletide.
Mr. Avoka charged the officers to be loyal to their superiors, government and the country as a whole in the course of their duty, adding that, even though they might not like their leaders, they should always bear in mind they are serving their country and not individuals and also "do unto others as they would want others to do unto them" when they become leaders.
"Don't think nobody has seen your work and continue your good work for the day of reckoning will come. Above all, work in unity, do it with faith, humility, simplicity, be fair but firm," he told the officers and men at the durbar.
He stressed that the visit was also to inspire them to work harder and advised them to have inter-agency relationship to get rid of crime which would serve as a legacy to their successors.