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Prabhas’ Rebel Releasing On September 28
Prabhas starrer Rebel is scheduled to release on September 28. This high budget film has been produced by J Pulla Rao and J Bhagawan under the banner of Sri Balaji Cine Media.
The audio of the music of Rebel composed by Lawrence will be launched at a function to be held at Shilpakala Vedika in September 14.
The story, screenplay, Music, choreography and direction is by Raghava Lawrence. The dialogues have been penned by Darling Swamy.
Tamanna and Deeksha Seth play the female leads. The star cast includes Krishnam Raju, Mukesh Rishi, Shankar, Vishal, Akash, Brahmanandam, Ali, MS Narayana, Prabha, Hema, Sana, Rajitha and others.
Click Here to More Rebel Movie


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Bartlett Condo Rental Photos and Description
Condo, 1700 sq. ft., 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6 maximum, 2 Bathrooms
Breathtaking views from this immaculate, spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath, upper-level condo in Christmas Mountain Resort. This condo has a real second home away from home feel. Relax on the spacious deck and take in the beautiful views of Mt. Washington. Our condo is extremely clean, and has all the conveniences you need to make your stay a memorable one, including secure WiFi. Located near Storyland, Attitash Water Park, outlet shopping, restaurants, hiking, zip lines, golf and all the Mt. Washington Valley attractions. You are minutes away from skiing or snowboarding at Bretton Woods, Black Mountain, Attitash, Mt. Cranmore, or Wildcat.
Ski:: In the heart of ski country in the White Mountains, close by to: Attitash (10 min.), Black Mountain (under 10 min.), Mt. Cranmore (15 min.), Bretton Woods (30 min.), Wildcat (15 min.). Also, Jackson Cross Country skiing (under 10 min.)
Golf:: North Conway Country Club - featuring 18 challenging holes (approximately 15 min. away). Wentworth Country Club, Jackson (under 10 min. away). Linderhoff Resort - 9 hole Executive course (5 min.). Mt. Washington Country Club, Bretton Woods - 18 challenging holes (approx. 30 - 40 min.)
Other Activities:: Skating, Tubing, Lake Beach, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Shopping, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sightseeing.
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets not allowed
- suitable for elderly or infirm
- wheelchair inaccessible
About Bill Pimm, Raquel Perez
Bill Pimm has been coming to the Mount Washington Valley since he was a child and owning this condo is a way to continue to enjoy the benefits of all the area has to offer.
Bill Pimm, Raquel Perez purchased this condo in 2010
Why Bill Pimm, Raquel Perez chose Bartlett
This property is totally unlike other condominiums available in the area, it is spacious with panoramic views of the mountains.
What makes this condo unique
This unit has an unobstructed view of Mount Washington.
Guestbook comments from the owner
Pristine mountain air and gorgeous views of Mount Washington and mountainside. Great sledding hill for children. Close to skiing, food, and shopping. Cozy family friendly condo. Nice loft for kids to play yet still be part of family area. Clean, quiet, and warm.

domain: travel


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Seasonal Sittings of Tiny Art - Autumn
March 1 (Friday) 9:00 am - May 24 (Friday) 5:00 pm(GMT+10:00) View in my time
Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
420 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD, 4006
Tiny Art, Big Impact! These exhibitions feature small artworks created by Flying Arts members from all across Queensland in the foyer and halls of the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary
Tiny Art, Big Impact! These exhibitions feature small artworks created by Flying Arts members from all across Queensland in the foyer and halls of the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art, Brisbane.
Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
The Autumn sitting features works from artist members Gabi Sturman, Leigh Schoenheimer, Ronda Luland, and Petalia Humphreys.
Gabi Sturman, Yungaburra
Gabi’s practice explores the concept of cultural value and the relevance of nature in contemporary society. Climate change, displaced and endangered species and how people value the natural landscape are of particular interest to her. Through sculptural representations of flora and fauna in singular works and collective installations, Gabi aims to create visual narratives about the complicated relationship between nature and humanity.
Read more about Gabi’s sculptures here.
Leigh Schoenheimer, Brisbane
Leigh Schoenheimer lives and works in Brisbane conducting a contemporary, multi-disciplinary art practice. She works primarily as a painter and sculptor, often bringing both arms of her practice together in her Constructions body of work. Schoenheimer’s work has been short listed in an impressive number of national art prizes for both painting and sculpture and she is currently working on a design concept for a public art project in Brisbane. Schoenheimer is one of several Queensland artists selected to feature as a case study in Creative Inquiry – a senior, visual arts textbook published last year by Cambridge University Press. This text will be used in high schools throughout Queensland and beyond.
Read more about Leigh’s work here.
Ronda Luland, Tweed Coast
Ronda Luland comes from several generations of artists, growing up in the country and playing in the “mud” on the farm. In the 70s she attended Bondi TAFE and did a course in ceramics and china painting. Ronda joined Tweed Unlimited Arts Pottery group 10 years ago and once again enjoyed the introduction to ceramics. She loves living close to the ocean – her “Sea Life Series” is inspired by this. Some of the local landmarks are hand painted onto some larger pieces that Ronda obtained from a large pot workshop run by Bill Powell, Master Potter. She has also attended a Stephen Bower workshop in Brisbane to observe his technique on painting his pieces. Ronda has been inspired to paint plates and vessels with her own designs. Recently, Ronda has been throwing her own pieces and decorating them with Chrysanthos underglazes, once again focusing on the theme of “Sea Life.”
Read more about Ronda’s ceramics here.
Petalia Humphreys, Peregian Beach
Petalia Humphreys’ paintings reveal beauty caught in a moment of time whilst traversing an architectural landscape. With references to cross-sections of spaces surfaces meet to procure tension and release. Embracing both painting and sculpture, the works disclose contrasts and dichotomies, exploring ideas of playfulness and interplay – mapping both movement and stillness. Concerned with architectural space, there is a flattening out of that which is three dimensional. Pushed into the corner the square folds into its rigid setting yet the works manifests itself in a space beyond its physicality.
Read more about Petalia’s works here.

domain: artistic


text: After 42 years in law enforcement and 26 at the helm of the Hazelwood Police Department, Carl Wolf is calling it a career. Wolf retires from police work at the end of the month. Hazelwood has nearly doubled in population and more than tripled in size since he became chief in 1985. Wolf returned from serving in the Navy in Vietnam and installed burglar alarms for a while before joining the Ladue police force. He worked in two more departments before coming to Hazelwood. He is also the treasurer of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Wolf plans to take a job in the private sector.

domain: news


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Former porn star Sasha Grey would just like to make sure we're all clear on the fact that she's not dead. Contrary to the reports of some dicey-looking Internet memes, she also wasn't working as a nurse for the Russian Army, and has never—not even once—been captured by Ukrainian soldiers and then brutally murdered.…
Happy Thanksgiving! Here is a Russian cartoon that was inexplicably dubbed with Sasha Grey's moans. And here is a horrified child watching it. Welcome to Russia! Please enjoy your stay.
23-year-old ex-porn star Sasha Grey is the face of Belgium's Equal Pay Day, the country's worthwhile and certainly well-meaning movement (we have our own, too, on April 12th) that seeks to close the 22% wage gap between men and women. But the campaign's PSA sends mixed messages about women and the porn industry,…
She was dragged through the mud back in November when she had the audacity to promote literacy in elementary schools, and now former adult star Sasha Grey is on trial once again thanks to a porn company who is trying to donate money to the program on her behalf. Leaving the industry last April, Assence Films are…
She wasn't doing it naked surrounded by 10 aroused guys, but nevertheless Sasha Grey has found herself at the center of an hysterical storm after parents of Emerson Elementary School in Compton complained that the former porn star was reading to first and third graders as part of Read Across America. Tweeting that she…
At Sasha Grey's book launch, everyone seemed very impressed by the pornstar-turned-actress's courage. "She's brave," said one attendee. "Very brave," said another. "I think she's...open to things other people are not."
Sasha Grey is publishing a monograph. Writes the sometimes porn-star, "When I first got into the adult industry, I decided to take my photography much more seriously. I started taking a camera with me to capture my experiences on set, so it was a moment in time, a memory for myself-not the video that would be seen by…
127 Hours is apparently amazing. The premiere, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, was peculiar: half the crowd appeared to have been color-coordinated by the White Stripes.
On Sunday's premiere of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, an actress wore a pubic wig to compensate for her own modern aesthetic. Mostly, merkins are employed to sidestep more restrictive MPAA ratings, but our collection of famous fake fur is still NSFW.
Today in Tweet Beat, someone "official" told Lisa Rinna that other women are threatened by her, happy times are here again for Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz, and Mary Carey is a Toddlers & Tiaras fan.
Last summer, psychic James Van Praagh appeared on The View, and reportedly told Barbara Walters there was an issue with her blood. Barbara said later, "I'm skeptical and Mr. Van Praagh knows it," but now she's having heart surgery.
During a radio interview with Philadelphia's 106.1 FM, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee hinted that she may have had a fling with Tiger Woods:
The story that American Apparel tells about its models — that they are, to a (half-naked) woman, employees, friends of Dov Charney, "real people" and never professional models — is one much cherished by the company. It's also a lie.
Today in Tweet Beat, our world is rocked by the knowledge that Kim Kardashian's ass is enhanced, Rob Thomas has a sense of humor about himself and Lou Diamond Phillips is in drag.
Today in Tweet Beat, the Jersey Shore cast is in L.A. and paling around with Lindsay Lohan and Simon Rex, Jill Zarin visits Gawker Media, and, for some reason, Paramount has asked Danielle Staub to host The Lovely Bones premiere.
"People used to be ashamed to say their girlfriends did porn. That is gone," says one industry observer. A talent agent says, "I send away at least two girls a week who think they can do porn." [The Daily Beast]
This is one of the many sultry new images of Megan Fox in her Armani underwear which will greet you when you flick through magazines/drive on the highway/walk through downtown/exist for the foreseeable future. Look! They erased her tattoos. [WWD]
Despite claims that her opinions are worthless because she does porn, Sasha Grey has a long and insightful interview with Dazed Digital about acting, relationships, sex, and prostitution.
Sarah Palin's not the only one pissed off about her Newsweek cover — the National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez isn't pleased either. But she says that leggy shot is "tame" compared with the fleshpot that is Newsweek's website.
Steven Soderburgh's new film The Girlfriend Experience, which stars adult film actress Sasha Grey, explores how its characters confuse fantasy and reality, and attempts to do the same for its pornography-literate audience members.


Air Energy has developed an energy storage system that satisfies ultra-high power demand in a scale of several kWh. The requirements for this energy storage system are based on the ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles that have been installed in Europe since 2016. In addition to the high performance this energy storage should have a high cyclic life and intrinsic safety. Based on this specifications, an energy storage for an electric vehicle was developed in 2018 that meets and even exceeds the requirements of ultra-fast charging technology.
Begin of 2019, the battery was tested on a test bench at RWTH Aachen University and charged with 300 kW. During the test, the battery was charged to a state of charge of 90% within 90 seconds. The mean cell temperature raised in this test just under 10 K. This was with deactivated cooling system. Using the water cooling circuit of the battery, the heat loss can be dissipated within short time and thus allows operation with cyclically consecutive ultra-fast charging and high-performance discharges. This battery technology offers an excellent alternative to supercaps for buffering high power pulse loads combined with quick charging.
Technical data ultra-fast charge battery
Maximum battery voltage:
Charging Time at 300 kW:
1 ½ Minutes (90 % SoC)


Read StoryJim ReinekingUSA TODAY
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The 2020 Iowa Legislative Session
Week of January 13, 2020
This week in the Iowa Legislature
The first week of the 2020 legislative session was made up of formalities and ceremonies with limited substantive action. The chambers’ committees met, but they mostly introduced members and made remarks. Joint Sessions of the House and Senate met on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for Governor Reynolds’ Condition of the State speech, Chief Justice Wiggin’s Condition of the Judiciary, and Major General Benjamin Corell’s Condition of the Guard, respectively. Following the day’s work, numerous evening legislative receptions were held to welcome legislators back to Des Moines and provide an opportunity for lobbyists and legislators to mingle informally. The Advocacy Strategies team attended these events to catch up with legislators and discuss the issues on your legislative agenda.
Condition of the State
Governor Reynolds gave her Condition of the State address to a Joint Session of the Iowa House and Senate, and the Chief Justices on Tuesday. She set out ambitious legislative priorities for the 2020 session, specifically two constitutional amendments: restoring felon voting rights and declaring there is no right to an abortion. Her additional priorities include professional licensing reform, child care, and ensuring quality broadband, maternal health, and criminal justice reform services.
Despite the state budget looking solid for the coming year, the Governor proposed a 1-cent sales tax that is estimated to increase revenue by $540 million. The push to raise the 1-cent sales tax is a result of the 2010 ballot initiative to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. The Governor has been working with advocates on this for several months and is insisting the increase be budget neutral. In addition to funding the trust, she’s recommending the state use the additional funds to invest in Iowa’s Regional Mental Health System and expand tax relief.
We urge you to read the entire address to learn about the Governor’s initiatives in greater detail.
For the full text of the Governor’s Condition of the State, click the following link.
The Governor’s priorities align with much of what the House and Senate Leadership named as priorities going into session. With the Republican majority in both chambers, the Legislature is in a good position to move these initiatives forward.
Condition of the Judiciary
With the recent passing of Chief Justice Cady and the upcoming March retirement of Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins giving way for a fourth judicial appointment by Governor Reynolds, 2020 bodes to be a year of transition for Iowa’s Judicial Branch.
Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins gave what was his first – and only – Condition of the Judiciary speech, he noted that his remarks were a final version of a draft started by the late Chief Justice. Wiggins stated that the Iowa Judicial system is one of the best in the nation, owing to the Chief Justice Cady’s leadership and vision. He spoke of his respect for the Legislature and Governor and their roles in speaking for the people, while observing the unique “more limited” position of the courts as well as how the independence of the courts is vital to the strength of the state.
He acknowledged statewide court improvements, several of which were prompted by local community efforts and cited successful programs. He noted the need for a $% increase in the Judicial Branch budget which will fund a much-needed workforce to support the growing needs for local services.
Condition of the Guard
On Thursday, Major General Benjamin Corell made his first address to a Joint Session of Legislature. He spoke enthusiastically about the strong state of the Iowa National Guard and mentioned several objectives and goals for the coming year. He made it clear that Iowa needs to continue to provide the proper and adequate incentives to ensure that would-be soldiers choose the Iowa National Guard for their service. He renewed the standing commitment to always support Iowa’s Emergency Managers when called upon in disaster situations. Corell also spoke of a commitment to assessing and even retiring guard facilities that are beyond their useful life while continuing to provide the best possible resources for his soldiers.
Touching on future threat and readiness assessment, General Corell had two major points of emphasis talking extensively about the need to prepare for cyber threats to our security. Mentioning the Russia and China specifically, he talked about the daily effort to prevent a cyber intrusion. The General also shared that the Iowa National Guard has been assigned a mission outside of our borders and will be sending 2,000 soldiers abroad over the next 12 months.
Next week will be shortened because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Members have introduced bills, so subcommittees will begin meeting in earnest next week. With the ceremony and welcome-back receptions over, legislators will begin to focus more on their work starting Tuesday. But with the short week the session will likely end up hitting its stride by the beginning of the third week—when a consistent diet of bill subcommittee meetings and committees get established.
Dates to Note
- January 24: Final day for individual bill requests
- February 3: Iowa Caucuses, no session
- February 21: First funnel deadline (6th week)
- March 20: Second funnel deadline (10th week)
- April 21: 100th calendar day of the session; legislators’ per diem expires


Image Source: Pixabay
Because everyone’s worth it
If you thought Gillette ads broke the internet, get ready to have your mind geblasen (that’s German for blown).
In March of 2019, L’Oréal’s German ad firm, McCann, released a series of ads targeted at men, with graphs made of makeup. The goal was to illustrate the discrepancies between men and women in managerial roles on Germany’s executive boards and committees.
Mission accomplished. And personally, I don’t think it could have been accomplished in a better, more beautiful way.
The bold text at the top of each ad proclaiming “this is an ad for men” gets the attention of the people that need to finally pay attention. Males make up 91.4% Germany’s executive and management boards. And they’ve been perfectly content to keep it that way, egos clouding their common sense from seeing that increasing women in managerial roles would also increase profitability.
Studies have shown that boards that have women in 30% of their seats increase their profitability by 15%, their management reviews get better by 24%, and innovation grows to 20% more patents in a year.
Simple infographics made from lipsticks, mascara swooshes, and spilled nail polish cleanly illustrate the above stats. The elegance of the products themselves matches the elegance with which they have chosen to give male executives the middle finger.
The bottom line in the wider debates remains that the corporate bottom lines benefit from getting more women involved. And L’Oréal sends that message across beautifully, confirming that we are all worth it.
Originally Published on bandersnatch.ca


It is not wrong to say that advertising industry in Sri Lanka is largely run from Colombo; there is no noticeable work coming from Kandy, Matara, Galle, Jaffna, Badulla or any other regional centre. I may be wrong if the ever-so-interesting bus “decorations” qualify to be called advertising, that is. There are no ‘agencies’ outside Colombo since the whole country is such a small place.
There’s the Chillies, the SLIM’s – the People’s Awards, the Effies, the Reggies and various other industry accolades and titles, up for grabs every year. Also there’s the Sumathi’s, Sarasavi and all kinds of labels for the Advertising, Marketing and Media industry including the “Superbrands.” All this, for Colombo – a tiny city that houses 0.65 million people in 40 square kilometres of space.
Consider the total ad spend of the country, remove the political spending and I’m sure we are left with something that’s not even worth this many award ceremonies.
Too many awards, for a tiny industry in a tiny city. Looks like, and feels like, quantity over quality – doesn’t it?
Agree that the awards are meant to be “conceptually” very different from one another. The Chillies are meant to award creativity, the People’s Awards are for popularity and the Effies are for advertising effectiveness. The trouble is, when there is an overlap, and the market is too small to understand the difference or lacks variety to fill all the criteria, the “grey area” looks so grey that the whole awards business looks a bit dodgy and unclear.
Besides, the organisers come-up machinations to ensure the metals go to those who are in their favour. Pretty much like patting one’s own back, or you scratch mine and I’ll scratch yours, really.
Ok, we have the international judges. But no amount of great judges will be able to conduct a clean business in a place infested with crooks. Just like FP7 Doha winning at Dubai Lynx (and Cannes) with some ghost ads, only to be exposed later and eventually get stripped off the titles and thrown in the hall of shame. If the crooks could fool Cannes and Lynx, the Chillies is peanuts for the local masterminds.
The awards need to earn their credibility. I think People’s awards are pretty decent, largely due to Nielsen professionalism, but then there are some who depend on Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) for research too. The last time I read a report from LMRB, it stated “Style” enjoyed a top spot in magazine readership, when in fact, the magazine was discontinued more than three years before the report came out.
The tiny city of 40 square kilometres is filled with the best and the worst, the good and the bad. The honest and the devious. In a country where there is no respect for the consumer, where there is no self-discipline or moral code of conduct, who are we kidding really?? Just like LMRB and Superbrands, the Chillies 2009 is also not going to be any different this time either.
Image: One of the FP7’s ghost ads. Check out http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/samsung_wf338aab_ink to see the rest of the campaign.


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The Van Doren Big Air 2015. Tom Dugan crashes hard and somehow and rises from the ashes to take home big air!
Ok, where can I get one of these bikes???
The trailer is promising some good stuff.
A clip featuring O’Neill ambassadors Simon, Sepalot and C100 means surf, music and art. Enjoy!

domain: entertainment


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Florida High School Baseball - Riviera Prep defeats Ransom EvergladesApril 11, 2019: Miami, FL 33176
In Thursday's non-league challenge, the Riviera Prep Bulldogs (Miami, FL) baseball squad triumphed over the visiting Ransom Everglades Raiders (Miami, FL), by a margin of 7-0.
With the win, Riviera Prep betters its record to 7-5 on the season. The Bulldogs host Miami Country Day (Miami, FL) to encounter the Spartans in a non-league challenge on Monday, April 15. The Spartans come into the challenge with a record of 7-4. Miami Country Day won 7-0 in their recent non-league challenge against Marathon (Marathon, FL)
With the defeat, Ransom Everglades falls to 5-6 on the season. The Raiders travel to Coral Shores (Tavernier, FL) to encounter the Hurricanes in a 4A District 8 challenge on Tuesday, April 16. The Hurricanes come into the challenge with a record of 6-7. Coral Shores lost 6-1 in their recent non-league challenge against Miami Beach (Miami Beach, FL)


With the Labdisc Portable STEM Lab, it’s easy to incorporate inquiry-based science in daily learning. The wireless, compact device offers up to 15 built-in sensors and fits in the palm of a student’s hand. With four varieties to choose from, including Gensci, Biochem, Enviro, and Physio, it takes inquiry-based learning to a new level!
- All-in-one, complete lab in the palm of your hand
- Next generation wireless technology
- Autonomic for indoor and outdoor science
- Zero setup time, with automatic sensor testing and calibration
- Over 150 hours of battery life
- Interactive multi-disciplinary experiment books for K-12
- Seamlessly integrates with latest technologies in the digital classroom


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'I was sent racist abuse over the coronavirus'
DJ and writer Jex Wang says she was sent racist abuse after writing about the coronavirus.
"When I first saw the virus, my first thought was with the people in Wuhan and what they're going through, because that's horrible," she told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire.
"Then my second thought was, 'I'm going to have to deal with more racism because of this now.'"
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two and BBC News Channel, 10:00 to 11:00 GMT - and see more of our stories here.

domain: sociology


Tesla is nixing one of the most controversial metals from some Model 3 battery production, report says
Cobalt is among the most expensive metals used in EV battery production. Mining it is also linked to human-rights violations, including child labor.
Tesla competitor Nio can surge another 28% amid transformation into 'next iconic auto brand,' Deutsche Bank says
A recent study found that Nio boasted higher referral odds in China than Tesla and BMW. The interest is already boosting sales, Deutsche Bank said.
Rolls-Royce will build an electric vehicle within the next decade to keep up with tightening emissions laws
A spokesperson said there is "no demand from customers" for an EV, but Rolls-Royce needs to prepare for gas engines to be banned from city centers.
Watch Mercedes-Benz's 'Avatar'-inspired concept car drive without a steering wheel in a new testing video
After unveiling the sci-fi style concept car at CES 2020 in January, Mercedes-Benz showed the vehicle hitting the road in a new video on Saturday.
Nikola founder Trevor Milton bought semitruck designs instead of making them 'in his basement,' report says
The Nikola One semitruck is part of a $2 billion lawsuit with Tesla, in which Nikola said Tesla's design was "substantially" similar to its own.
Tesla's new 4680 battery cell is an "A-plus," according to Shirley Meng, a scientist from the University of California San Diego.
California's ban of gas-powered cars by 2035 looks great for Tesla, but could distract the young automaker from its best chance to grow
Gavin Newsom's executive order could be seen as a potential distraction from a much bigger opportunity for Tesla to grow outside of the US.
Wedbush said it sees risks skewing to the downside for Nikola after a "Twilight Zone-like few weeks" saw shares tank and founder Trevor Milton leave.
Volkswagen made 4 key moves to give the all-electric ID.4 a shot at outselling Tesla — and the gas-powered competition
Mass-appeal is a tricky thing. But Volkswagen seems to have checked all the boxes to ensure that its new EV takes off.
Despite Tesla's bumpy history with automating its plants, Musk is still pursuing a human-light approach to building his products.
The event lacked any news of the million-mile battery "widely expected" by Wall Street and Tesla shareholders, the Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said.
The all-electric ID.4 SUV is leading VW's charge against Tesla — here's how it compares to the Model Y
The ID.4 will aim do for electric buyers what the Beetle did so many years ago: offer an affordable, mass-market option.
Elon Musk said Tesla wouldn't exist without a little-known electric convertible called the tZero. Here's how the prototype car led to the formation of Tesla and paved the way for electric vehicles.
The tZero, made by a company called AC Propulsion, led directly to the formation of Tesla and its first car, the Roadster.
GM thought it had a slam dunk deal with EV startup Nikola — but it may have underestimated the risk founder Trevor Milton posed to its future
GM's risk assessment may not have accounted for Milton's entrepreneurial willingness to distort capabilities in the interest of telling a great story.
Tesla's big battery event is as much a branding opportunity as it is a technology review — and it's about time.
Elon Musk said Tesla will buy more battery cells from other firms, and the tech it shows at Tuesday's "Battery Day" won't be mass-produced until 2022.
Tesla may beat its previous record for quarterly vehicle deliveries, CEO Elon Musk told staff in an internal email urging them to 'rally hard.'
The Tesla Model 3 might have the new Polestar 2 EV beat on paper, but the Polestar won me over — here's why
The Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 occupy basically the same spot in the luxury EV market. But they're two different takes on electric cars.
Nikola faced fraud allegations upon announcing a $2 billion deal with General Motors, but GM doesn't seem worried
Hindenburg Research alleged that Nikola is a fraud, but GM CEO Mary Barra stressed that GM had done its homework.
The Audi e-tron was built to challenge the Tesla Model X — I drove the all-electric SUVs to see how they stack up
The Model X has been the premier electric SUV in the market since 2015; the e-tron was touted as a challenger.


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First of all, shoutout to the Olsen twins for the inspiration on the title of this post (great movie, by the way). Anyways, a few weekends ago, I flew to Paris to visit a good friend of mine from Bowdoin and explore the city. I’d always wanted to see the city, and arrived ready to go with a list of favorite museums, parks, and landmarks in my pocket. On the list, I included Sacré-Coeur, the love lock bridge, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Jardin du Luxembourg, Musée de l’Orangerie, and Sainte-Chapelle. It was an ambitious list, but despite three straight days of rain, we managed to see it all, even fitting in time for a little gem of a farmer’s market stand called Chez Alain Miam Miam and Lenny Kravitz’s favorite kebab. Although the whole trip was incredible, I had several highlights that made the weekend especially memorable. I’ve included some pictures below!
It was an amazing weekend, but it feels good to be back in Granada for the last few weeks of the semester… More updates to come!
More Blogs From This Author

My name is Hallie Bates, and I'm currently a junior at Bowdoin College in beautiful Brunswick, Maine. I'm an Anthropology major, Spanish minor, and am also pursuing a pre-health track in order to one day attend medical school. I love to run, and can't wait to explore the trails in Granada and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. I'm excited to get to know a new city from the inside out, and want to visit as many quirky coffee shops as possible, immersing myself in Spanish language, culture and cuisine.


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I'm making a top down shooter that has doors that open and close using proximity triggers. To do this I've placed created a door and an invisible trigger and placed them in the same container. I've then placed the following event on the event sheet.
If DoorTrigger is overlapping player
If DoorTrigger is overlapping Enemy
Open door. (I simplified this part as it's not the part that's giving me trouble.)
Else Close door.
This piece of code opens a door when the player of an enemy moves over the trigger and closes the door when the player or enemy moves out of the trigger area.
The problem is that if I move in to a trigger area and a door opens, the door won't close unless ALL trigger areas are clear of enemies. An enemy on the other side of the map who is travelling through a door can hold all doors open.
I really don't know how to work around this. Can anyone please help?

domain: hobby


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Sheila Henry is fine, or at least that is what she tells friends who inquire. Almost three years to the day her son was murdered in the London bombings, she is all too aware that people do not really want to know that the searing grief is as acute as ever.
“I say I am ok. I don’t want to get into a conversation because I know they don’t really want to hear. People want me to feel much better because they want to feel better.
“It is like your heart is ruptured. People talk of heart break after a relationship but they mend. This doesn’t get better, it is like an ongoing nightmare, an inward scream. I am just screaming inside,” explained Mrs Henry. “I will be walking along the road and I will stop in my tracks because it is still unbelievable.”
The serene normality of Mrs Henry’s suburban street is a galaxy away from the shattering mayhem of the 7 July 2005 when Christian Njoya Diawara Small, 28, was among 52 innocent commuters killed by the actions of four suicide bombers. But, sitting in her sunny living room, she is nevertheless trapped in that stygian tunnel alongside her son.
“I can’t say that was the day he died. That is too calm, too pretty, too sensitive. It was the day he was killed, murdered, slaughtered,” she explained, her face etched with the agony that still maintains a vice like grip on her life.
But she has, she explains, made some progress and no longer visits his grave at Chingford Mount Cemetery three times a day.
She will, however, be there tomorrow to mark the third anniversary of the bombing with friends and family. She is not yet sure what she will do on Monday morning – the hour her son was killed. In moments of acute pain she simply “isolates” herself.
The past thirty six months are filled with memories so horrific they are almost beyond comprehension. Mrs Henry recalls how she finally found out her son was dead after eight days of agonised searching, the “frozen shock” of seeing his body, ravaged by the bomb and the delay in identification.
Then there was the day, two months later, when she was taken to see the wreckage of the Piccadilly Line tube train and saw the exact spot where her son had been standing at the moment of death.
She describes the moment two years later when she got back on the London Underground for the first time: “I felt pure panic, terror. I was looking at everybody leaving things on the floor. I didn’t want to sit down. I stood at the door in case I fainted.”
And then there was the morning, just months ago, when an envelope landed through her letterbox containing the coroner’s report and post mortem results. For hours she sat alone, painstakingly going through every word.
“It just sent me into a flow of confusion. The post mortem report was so graphic. It said what underpants he was wearing, what limbs were missing, where he was pierced by metal. I read it word by word, trying to absorb it. The tears were automatic, just a stream,” she explained.
Events of the past three years have proved relentless - court cases, memorials, items in the press. In Mrs Henry’s living room sit three wicker boxes containing her son’s possessions. She has never opened them. Her mobile still holds texts from him. The other day she came across his driving licence.
“There has been no let up. There is no time, no room for breathing or grieving. We have not started proper grieving,” she said.
The former lecturer in sociology and psychology is certainly not seeking pity. She never succumbs to the desire to simply pull the duvet over her head and keeps busy working as a manger for a charity. In her spare time she finds it therapeutic to make batik cloths and work for the charity set up in her son’s name.
Christian Small, a 28-year-old advertising planner whose grandparents had emigrated from Jamaica, was a true all-rounder, described by friends as thoughtful and earnest. Academically successful, he was also a talented athlete and had won medals for hurdling. He had worked as a mentor to young black boys in London and spent three months in Africa helping out as a volunteer. Upon his return he adopted the name Njoya Diawara, which means man of great spirit - the words now on his grave, and wrote a travel book Wake Up and Smell the Fufu, which his family published posthumously. All proceeds from sales go to The Njoya Foundation, a charity set up by friends and family to provide successful, professional role models for young black boys.
Mrs Henry smiles as she talks of her ambitious, industrious, inquisitive son, a “real gentleman”. She speaks with equal pride of her daughter Tameka, a 26-year-old engineer, who has become an ever present companion and source of comfort
It is a sad irony that Mrs Henry and her ex-husband Charles Small, chief executive of a centre dedicated to promotion of ethnic culture, brought their children up to be open-minded, well travelled and tolerant only for their son to die in an act of intolerance and fanaticism.
Like many families, Mrs Henry wants a public inquiry into the events of that day: “I personally would like to know that all precautions were taken and if not, why not. If they knew who they were and they actually watched them and they were supposed to be dangerous, I think it would probably bring some kind of closure to know that the Government, the police and everybody else had done everything they could have done.
“It is important to make sure checks are in place to make sure it never happens again. It is too overwhelming to even think about."
Wake Up and Smell the Fufu is available from the Njoya Foundation.

domain: literature


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How to prepare for gorilla trekking : Gorilla trekking is a famous activity done in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo. Guests booked for a mountain gorilla experience will need to be well prepared for this and here are a few guidelines on how best to be prepared. Booking a mountain gorilla safari can be done by an individual or you may opt to book with a trusted tour operator who can as well book all the logistics for your safari.
Gorilla trekking is a once in a lifetime experience where guests get to follow the trackers in the wild for a chance to spend a magical hour in the natural home of the gorillas. The gorilla species are very close to the human species as they share up to 99.8% of their DNA and you can even spot the likeness on your visit to one of the mountain gorillas parks.
Mountain gorillas can be spotted and visited in the wild in only 3 countries in the entire world and these are Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These three countries offer the experience at different costs and you can take on the activity in four national parks and these are the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda, the Virunga national park of DR Congo, the Mgahinga gorilla national park and the Bwindi impenetrable forest national park of Uganda.
You can purchase a mountain gorilla trekking permit at 400 USD in DR Congo, 700 USD in Uganda and 1,500 USD in Rwanda. The Bwindi Forest is said to be home to about 459 mountain gorillas which is equivalent to 43.2% of the total population with 50 gorilla families, Mgahinga being a home to a number of gorilla families but only one habituated gorilla family.
How to prepare;
Book a permit;
The first and foremost way to prepare for mountain gorilla trekking in any of these countries is by booking a gorilla permit for the date you are interested in. One will need to first secure their place as some dates are fully booked out and may not be available for booking. The permits can be booked for you by a trusted tour operator or if you prefer to book it personally, you may get it from the Irembo website for the Volcanoes national park, visit the Uganda Wildlife Authority office for a Ugandan gorilla permit or book with the Virunga national park for a chance to do gorilla trekking in the DR Congo.
If you opt to trek mountain gorillas and you are looking at booking with a tour operator, it will be important to do some research about this operator. Here are a few tips to know if your choice is the best, their trip advisor or review platforms, partnerships or any associations incase of anything. Response time and website performance is also a great factor to base on.
You will need to know the best time to trek the mountain gorillas as aligned with your preffered dates.
Mountain gorilla trekking is a much sought after activity however it is important for guests to know that this is a physically demanding activity. Guests signed up for a mountain gorilla trekking in either of these parks will need to be of medium fitness as it involves lengthy walks and some hikes up hill, crossing of small rivers and making way through thick forests for those trekking in DR Congo and Uganda especially.
The Bwindi impenetrable forest is such a natural forest with trees, creepers and dense vegetation with some sectors like Nkuringo being very hilly. This activity is a 2 to 6 hour activity and spending this much time in the wild will surely require one to be fit. The mountain gorillas just like their name suggests prefer to stay in the mountainous areas thus the hiking.
Some of the exercises you may do ahead of this activity includes basic more often walks, jogging, lunges, sit ups or take on stairs. However, the beauty if you feel unready to get fit and would like the easy way out, you can hire porters to be carried on a bamboo stretcher at an extra cost.
Check a packing list
This is a very important aspect when planning for a mountain gorilla experience as you will be away from home and in the wild or rather a foreign place. To avoid last minute expenses buying things while on your Rwanda safari or Uganda safari, it will be important to have a list of things to pack for this safari and ensure to have them or plan to purchase them.
Here are a few things for your packing list for gorilla trekking. Ensure to carry a waterproof back pack, enough surgical face masks and hand sanitizer, light weight and water proof clothing preferably long sleeved and long trousers to protect your arms and legs through the thickets and bushes. Great hiking shoes! These will be a highlight as they will either make the hiking enjoyable or more strenuous.
Temperatures in these areas are usually chilly so ensure to carry a warm sweater, don’t forget a hat, gardening gloves for the grip when holding the tree branches, insect repellants, water bottle, sunglasses or sunscreen, binoculars and camera with extra batteries.
At the start of the mountain gorilla trekking experience, you will attend a briefing by the knowledgeable ranger guides and they will let you know about the must haves and in case you have missed to carry one or two, you will be able to purchase from the souvenir shops at the reception.


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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sun Ra Photography By Joey Harrison
This entry is added with permission from Joey Harrison. Thank you Joey! Please post more from your personal collection for all of us to enjoy!
Marshall Allen and Danny Davis, circa 1975
When I was in high school, the older brother of a classmate of mine introduced me to The Fugs, Captain Beefheart, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sun Ra. I didn't like any of it. It all sounded like noise to me. But, still, I couldn't get the sounds out of my head. After reading a cover story in Rolling Stone (then printed on newsprint), I bought Capt. Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica." It mostly sat at the bottom of a drawer. But every month or so I'd pull it out and try it again. There was something about it that appealed to me, even while another part of me was saying that it was all wrong. Within a year or two I loved the album.
Even though I was already a jazz fan, I had a harder time with Sun Ra. I think that may have been because his recorded output is so spotty. It wasn't until I started seeing the Arkestra live that my admiration really soared.
During the seventies and eighties I saw the band perform many, many times -- in East Lansing, Michigan (where i grew up), in Detroit, in Toronto, in Ann Arbor, in Chicago, and in Boston.
Recently I discovered that reed player Marshall Allen, who first joined Ra back in the 1950s, was born here in Louisville (my new home). With that in mind, I dug out my old negatives from the 1970s and scanned this nice image of him and Danny Davis.
Old Ticket Stubs, including Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra at the Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan, September 23, 1978
I found these in a file folder. Hadn't seen them in years. My only question is where are the rest? Offhand, I see I failed to save the stubs for concerts by Philip Glass, Sun Ra, Captain Beefheart, Steve Lacy, Muzsikas, the McGarrigles, Patti Smith, John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, Charles Mingus, Polyrock, the Bloodless Pharoahs, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Sonny Rollins, the Mothers of Invention, Miles Davis, the Master Musicians of Joujouka ...
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch more.
Posted by Steve Antonelli at 6/10/2008 02:10:00 PM


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Cushing syndrome and rebound generalized pustular psoriasis from Chinese herbs
Where can I read this paper?
Full article on Wiley Online Library. Note: you will need the credentials or your institution to login or you can purchase access.
Published: British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 169, Issue 6, pages 1367–1369, December 2013


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Found in 7 Collections and/or Records:
One of the first ordained female ministers in the Midwest whose sermons were broadcast on radio stations KFNF and KMA for over sixty years in Shenandoah, Iowa.
Cookbooks, newsletters, and other publications of the Radio Homemakers who broadcast over KMA and KFNF in southwest Iowa.
Landscape architect, author and photographer.
Shenandoah, Iowa teacher who became school superintendent for Page County, Iowa. She played a central role in the development of activities for rural youth and is referred to as the 'Mother of 4-H.'
Radio homemaker who broadcast the Kitchen Klatter program from the 1920s to the mid-1970s.
Journalist who worked at the International News Service in Des Moines, Iowa during World War II and became its first woman bureau chief.

domain: library


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Background Proper understanding of the roles of, and interactions between genetic, lifestyle, environmental and psycho-social factors in determining the risk of development and/or progression of chronic diseases requires access to very large high-quality databases. Because of the financial, technical and time burdens related to developing and maintaining very large studies, the scientific community is increasingly synthesizing data from multiple studies to construct large databases. However, the data items collected by individual studies must be inferentially equivalent to be meaningfully synthesized. The DataSchema and Harmonization Platform for Epidemiological Research (DataSHaPER; http://www.datashaper.org) was developed to enable the rigorous assessment of the inferential equivalence, i.e. the potential for harmonization, of selected information from individual studies.
Methods This article examines the value of using the DataSHaPER for retrospective harmonization of established studies. Using the DataSHaPER approach, the potential to generate 148 harmonized variables from the questionnaires and physical measures collected in 53 large population-based studies (6.9 million participants) was assessed. Variable and study characteristics that might influence the potential for data synthesis were also explored.
Results Out of all assessment items evaluated (148 variables for each of the 53 studies), 38% could be harmonized. Certain characteristics of variables (i.e. relative importance, individual targeted, reference period) and of studies (i.e. observational units, data collection start date and mode of questionnaire administration) were associated with the potential for harmonization. For example, for variables deemed to be essential, 62% of assessment items paired could be harmonized.
Conclusion The current article shows that the DataSHaPER provides an effective and flexible approach for the retrospective harmonization of information across studies. To implement data synthesis, some additional scientific, ethico-legal and technical considerations must be addressed. The success of the DataSHaPER as a harmonization approach will depend on its continuing development and on the rigour and extent of its use. The DataSHaPER has the potential to take us closer to a truly collaborative epidemiology and offers the promise of enhanced research potential generated through synthesized databases.
In order to properly understand the role of, and interaction among genetic, lifestyle, environmental and social factors in modulating the risk of development and/or progression of chronic diseases, it is critical that analyses have adequate statistical power.1,2 Moreover, the aetiological relations of interest are generally complex and the risks targeted often relatively weak.1,3 Scientific progress thus demands access to very large databases4 providing comprehensive, valid and precise information on a variety of factors and disease traits.5 Due to the financial, technical and time burdens related to developing and maintaining very large studies, the scientific community is increasingly making use of the synthesis of data to address the limitations of statistical power of individual studies.6 In turn, however, when an analysis is to be undertaken based on individual-level data integrated between studies, the key data items assessed in individual studies (e.g. specific measurements or questions) must not only be measured well, but the information they convey must also be rendered ‘inferentially equivalent’ (or ‘harmonized’).7 A fundamental tension therefore lies between increasing sample sizes by synthesizing data from many individual studies, and restriction of the data synthesis to those studies that are satisfactorily harmonized and which provide a common set of scientifically valid information.
Given the quantity and complexity of the information generally collected by individual established studies and the heterogeneity of their designs and procedures, it is essential to have access to effective methods and tools to formally explore the potential to generate high-quality synthesized databases. Such tools need to provide comprehensive information on: (i) the specific variables that could be shared; (ii) the studies that could participate in targeted analysis; and (iii) the factors that could influence the potential to integrate information. The DataSchema and Harmonization Platform for Epidemiological Research (DataSHaPER; www.datashaper.org) may be used to provides such information.7 It includes two primary components. The DataSchema8 documents and annotates sets of core variables, which each provides a concise but effective list of information to be harmonized in a specific scientific context. The Harmonization Platform then provides a template for the formal estimation of the potential to synthesize information across networks of studies. In collaboration with other Public Population Project in Genomics (P3G) partner teams9–12 and projects,13,14 developments are currently ongoing to build a suite of tools supporting all steps of individual data harmonization, synthesis and analysis.
The current article evaluates the value of the DataSHaPER as a foundation for retrospective harmonization. It focuses on the Generic DataSchema that is composed of variables aimed at supporting the construction of general purpose baseline questionnaires and physical measures for use in large population-based studies enrolling adult participants.7 The specific aim of the article is to investigate and quantify the potential for harmonizing variables that make up the Generic DataSchema questionnaires and physical measures modules7 across more than 50 of the world’s largest population-based studies. The article also investigates factors that might influence the potential for harmonization, particularly the basic study design and nature of individual variables, as well as evaluating the utility of the Generic DataSchema as a platform for harmonization of existing databases. The article will help guide future development of the DataSHaPER project.
Development of the Generic DataSchema has been centred on a series of international consensus workshops bringing together experts from more than 25 studies and 14 countries. Its construction was based upon iterative review and consensus methodologies15,16 aimed at synthesizing knowledge and input from practitioners and researchers with a variety of professional expertise. The primary objective was to generate a select list of core variables that would provide a valuable contribution to the baseline interviews of population-based studies enrolling adult participants and provide a basis for harmonization. Agreed selection criteria were defined and used, first, to select broad domains and, then, specific variables.7 Where possible, variables were chosen and defined so as to be compatible with widely used international classification systems or standards.17–19 Over a 3-year period, iterative rounds of discussion and comment contributed to gradual refinement of the Generic DataSchema. In particular, a number of cohorts provided critical feedback based on their own use of early versions of the DataSchema as a foundation for questionnaire development. These included Lifelines20 (The Netherlands), LifeGene21 (Sweden), the five cohorts in the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project14 and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.22 The Generic DataSchema remains a dynamically evolving tool that is improving incrementally over time based on users’ feedback and increasing scientific knowledge.7
The ontology of the Generic DataSchema has a hierarchical structure in which the selected variables (the fundamental units of a statistical analysis, such as: lifetime occurrence of cancer; highest level of education; diastolic blood pressure) are grouped under domains (e.g. individual history of cancer, education level, blood pressure) that are themselves distributed across themes (e.g. individual history of disease, socio-economic status, body function measures) and modules (health and risk factor questionnaire, physical and cognitive measures and interview administration).7 Only the health and risk factor questionnaire and the physical and cognitive measures modules were considered for harmonization. Basic interview administration information (e.g. date of birth, date of interview, sex, language and location of interview) was collected by participating studies but not necessarily through collection modes targeted by the current exercise. Hence, even though all studies could share constructs derived from these data (such as age), this module was excluded from the current harmonization exercise. Within the physical and cognitive measures module, contraindications to having a particular measurement were also excluded from the harmonization process, since we did not have access to consistent information on the specific contraindications targeted by studies.
Selected variable characteristics that might influence the potential for data synthesis were documented. These include: (i) its importance for broad-based research projects as perceived by expert consensus (essential, important, useful information), (ii) the individual targeted by the variable (the participant himself/herself, the participant’s family members) and (iii) the period of the participant’s life to which the variable refers (current status at assessment, all other periods). Classification of the perceived ‘importance of variables’ was based on their relevance to be part of a generic set of information useful for a broad range of research questions. Since this classification was subjective, it was undertaken by two separate experts followed by comparison, and final confirmation by a panel. As an illustrative example, the following variables were classified as: ‘essential’: occurrence of cancer (participant); ‘important’: occurrence of cancer in the family; ‘useful’: occurrence of cancer in siblings.
Potential studies to be included in the harmonization process were identified using P3G’s collaborative network and Study catalogue (www.p3gobservatory.org). Eligible studies were those that had: (i) recruited or planned to recruit at least 10 000 adult participants; (ii) collected biological samples enabling DNA extraction; (iii) collected comprehensive information on life habits, socio-economic status and health outcomes; and (iv) provided access to the baseline questionnaire and standard operating procedures used. Priority was given to studies with the largest number of participants, those that were initiated most recently and those that had questionnaires available in English or French. A total of 87 studies were initially approached. Of these, 53 agreed to participate; 6 declined and 28 did not respond to our contacts.
Key characteristics were documented in order to identify study-related factors that might influence the potential for synthesis. These were: (i) study design (cohort or cross-sectional); (ii) breadth of scientific focus (broad scientific focus or focus on specific outcomes or exposures); (iii) source of population sample (general population or specific subpopulation such as clinic out-patients, professional association, etc.); (iv) participation history (new participant or participant selected from a pre-existing study); (v) observational units (individuals or families); (vi) sex (whether one sex only or both sexes were included); (vii) region of residence of the participants (Europe, North America or other); (viii) lower limit of participants’ age at recruitment (<25, 25–40 or >40 years); (ix) data collection start date (before or in 2000 or after 2000), (x) targeted number of participants (less than 100000 or 100000 or more); (xi) proportion of participants from whom biological samples were collected (a subsample or all participants); (xii) mode of administration of the questionnaire (computer based, paper based or mixed); and (xiii) site of administration of the questionnaire (participant residence, clinic/assessment centre or mixed).
Using the 53 participating studies, an initial evaluation was undertaken in order to determine if the selected Generic DataSchema domains correspond to risk factors and outcomes most frequently collected in current practice. This was done using the keyword tree of the P3G questionnaire catalogue, which provides a comprehensive overview of the areas of information collected by large epidemiologic studies.23 Each DataSchema domain was attributed a corresponding keyword of the keyword tree [e.g. ‘DataSchema domain’, Individual history of Cancer; ‘Keyword’, Individual History of Neoplasm—International Classification of Diseases (ICD)]. The proportion of the 53 participating studies collecting information on each keyword (i.e. coverage) was determined. This then allowed examination of the extent to which areas of information that were selected to be part of the Generic DataSchema (i.e. keywords corresponding to DataSchema domains), or not selected (i.e. keywords not included in the DataSchema), were used in current practice. The result of this analysis will help to optimize the Generic DataSchema by adding or deleting specific domains of interest based on their coverage among the world’s leading population-based studies.
As the primary harmonization exercise, the potential for each study to generate each variable included in the Generic DataSchema was evaluated. Once specific definitions have been attributed to each variable, the harmonization approach entails using a three-level scale to document the compatibility between the information generated by the assessment items of each participating study (e.g. specific questions) and each variable defined in the DataSchema. This process is referred to as ‘pairing’ (Box 1).7 In order to classify the assessment items and to ensure the validity and reproducibility of the pairing results, sets of comprehensive ‘pairing rules’ specific to each variable are defined.7 Development of pairing rules is context specific and involves a systematic process of iteration between scientific experts and trained research officers. Using these pairing rules, trained research officers determine whether or not a variable can be recreated using the assessment items collected by each participating study. In order to ensure quality control, an evaluator verified a random sample of ~10% of all pairing results. Whenever a pairing error was detected, a consensus panel determined the final pairing result.
|Complete||According to the pairing rules, the meaning, format and standard operating procedures used for collection of the assessment items allow construction of the variable as defined.|
|Partial||According to the pairing rules, the meaning, format and standard operating procedures used for collection of the assessment items allow the construction of the variable as defined, but with an unavoidable loss of information. This class includes two subcategories:|
|‘Proximate’—when the only reason for the classification as partial is because categories are used to collect information for a DataSchema variable that is defined as continuous.|
|‘Tentative’—whenever a variable is classified as partial for any other reason.|
|Impossible||When no relevant information is collected (impossible not covered) or, based on the pairing rules, insufficient information exists to construct the variable as defined (impossible covered).|
aIn certain instances, a DataSchema variable is not pertinent in the context of a particular study (e.g. the ‘Occurrence prostate cancer’ variable in the context of a study recruiting only women). In such cases, the variable is classified as ‘Not applicable’ for that study.
The chi-square statistic was used to test for difference between the characteristics of participating and non-participating studies. Study and variable characteristics were documented using descriptive statistics for binary and nominal variables including tabulation and reporting of counts and percentages. Coverage of areas of information that had been selected or not selected to be part of the Generic DataSchema were compared using the non-parametric Wilcoxon rank sum test.24 Cohen’s κ statistic25 was used to evaluate agreement between the research officers conducting the initial pairing and the final validated results. Primary analysis was based on the standard unweighted κ statistic25 but, because the classification categories were ordered, two alternatively weighted κ statistics26 were also used.
Analysis of the study- and variable-level characteristics that systematically influence the likelihood that a given variable can be created from the assessment items of a given study was undertaken. This analysis was used to identify factors that influence potential for data synthesis and was based upon a type 1 generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis,27,28 which takes appropriate account of the correlation of variables within studies. The analysis was based on a logistic regression model with an exchangeable correlation structure. Robust standard errors were used throughout.
Among the 87 studies contacted, no association was observed between study size or region of origin and the likelihood of participation in the initiative. However, studies that launched recruitment of participants after 2000 were more likely to respond to our call to participate [P<0.05, odds ratio (OR)=2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.11–6.71]. Fifty-three studies accepted to participate, encompassing 6.9 million participants, recruited or to be recruited. Of the participating studies (Supplementary Data available at IJE online), 48 are designated as cohorts and 5 had cross-sectional designs. Most studies had a broad scientific focus (42 studies), enrolled new participants (46 studies), had the individual—rather than family—as the unit of observation (47 studies) and included both sexes (46 studies). Participants were recruited from the general population in most studies (44 studies). However, some (nine studies) targeted population subgroups such as professional associations, clinic out-patients and at-risk individuals (exposure or disease). The start dates for collection of information range from the mid-1980s to 2010. Five studies began collecting information in 1990 or before and 18, 10 and 20, respectively, in 1991–2000, 2001–05 and 2006–10. Study sizes range from 10000 to over half a million participants. Eight have already recruited, or aim to recruit, 500000 participants or more, whereas the majority (28 studies) have a participant recruitment target of 50000 or less. Thirty studies have collected or plan to collect biological samples from all participants, whereas the others collect samples from a subgroup of participants only. A total of 26 studies recruit participants from Europe, 17 from North America, 5 from Asia and 5 from Australia. Different data collection modes are also used. For example, 24 studies are using paper-based questionnaires and 13 used computer-based questionnaires; the rest used a mixed data collection format.
In order to confirm that the Generic DataSchema does provide effective coverage of areas of interest to a general purpose population-based study, and in order to assess its use in actual current practice, all 53 participating studies were keyword coded. The keywords themselves were categorized into those that do correspond to a Generic DataSchema domain and those that do not. The proportion of studies that covered each keyword was then calculated and plotted (Figure 1). Keywords that do correspond to DataSchema domains are covered, on average, by 75.9% of studies, whereas keywords that do not are covered by 25%. The mean difference of coverage was therefore estimated at 50.9% (P<0.00001, 95% CI=42.2–59.2). Furthermore, all keywords covered by at least 78% of participating studies correspond to DataSchema domains (Figure 1). However, even if the DataSchema includes areas generally used in current practice, a few exceptions are noted. For example, the ‘Subject family’s birth location’ keyword is included in the DataSchema, but is only covered by 34% of the studies. Similarly, ‘Familial diseases of the respiratory system’ and ‘Familial mental and behavioural disorders’ (ICD10) keywords are also in the DataSchema, but only covered by 36 and 38% of the studies, respectively. On the other hand, ‘Individual disease of the genitourinary system’ (ICD10) and ‘Individual disease of the digestive system’ (ICD10) are covered, respectively, by 75 and 77% of the studies, but are not included in the DataSchema.
All 148 Generic DataSchema variables encompassed by the questionnaire and physical measures modules were included in the pairing exercise. Among the variables paired, 38 were classified as ‘essential’ for broad focused epidemiological research, 45 were considered ‘important’ and 65 were deemed ‘useful’. A total of 101 variables (68%) target information directly related to the participant (e.g. Occurrence of menopause, Height), whereas 47 (32%) target the participant’s family (e.g. Occurrence of diabetes in siblings). Forty variables (27%) target information related to the time at which the assessment took place (e.g. Current smoking status), whereas the remaining 108 variables target information relating to other time periods in the participant’s life (e.g. Age at first pregnancy).
The overall pairing process shows that 36% of all assessment items paired (148 variables paired for each of the 53 studies) were classified as ‘Complete’, 3% as ‘Partial Proximate’, 14% as ‘Partial Tentative’, 47% as ‘Impossible’ (7.2% ‘Impossible Covered’ and 40.2% ‘Impossible Not Covered) and 0.2% as ‘Not Applicable’. See Box 1 for definitions of pairing classifications. Some continuous variables, defined as open-ended in the Generic DataSchema, simultaneously show a very low proportion of ‘Complete’ matches and a relatively high percentage of ‘Partial Proximate’ matches (e.g. Household income—4% ‘Complete’ matches and 47% ‘Partial Proximate’ matches). Although such variables stray from the ideal ‘Complete’ match because of the use of categorical responses in study questionnaires, they can nonetheless be synthesized across studies with a minor loss of information. In the following results, ‘Partial Proximate’ matches are grouped with ‘Complete’ matches. Across the 53 studies, the proportion of combined ‘Complete’ and ‘Partial Proximate’ pairings ranged from a minimum of 20% (29 out of 148 variables) up to a maximum of 90% (133 out of 148 variables) per individual study. Conversely, the variation across the DataSchema variables ranged between 4% (2 of 53 studies) and 89% (47 of 53 studies). For 35 variables, at least 60% of the participating studies provided a ‘Complete/Partial Proximate’ match (Table 1 for examples of ‘well-paired’ variables, i.e. 65% or more). On the other hand, for 12 of the 148 variables (e.g. Heaviest ever alcohol consumption, Occurrence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the family, Town of birth), at least 80% of the participating studies provided an ‘Impossible not covered’ match, meaning these variables were in fact not examined by the majority of participating studies. Complete pairing results of all Generic DataSchema variables are included in Supplementary materials (Supplementary Data available at IJE online).
Although we have deliberately chosen to present the data in a conservative manner (so that we are not overstating the quality of pairing), it might reasonably be argued that evaluation of the harmonization potential should sometimes be restricted to those studies that have actually collected information related to a particular variable of interest. That being the case, each ‘Impossible Not Covered’ and ‘Not Applicable’ matches would be excluded from the denominator. This increases the overall proportion of ‘Complete/Partial Proximate’ matches to 64% and limits the ‘Impossible’ matches to those that had insufficient information to construct the variable (‘Impossible Covered’; 12%).
For quality control purposes, a total of 718 randomly paired assessment items were subjected to blind reassessment by a validation panel (9% of all assessment items paired). A total of 3.2% of the validated pairing matches indicated a disagreement between the original assessor and the validation panel in categorizing the pairing as ‘Complete’, ‘Partial’ or ‘Impossible’. Cohen’s κ was estimated and indicated excellent agreement between the original pairing assessments and the validation panel’s reassessments (OR=0.948, 95% CI=0.926–0.970). The occurence of pairing errors was not influenced by the nature of the variable, the research officer conducting pairing, or other characteristics such as paring levels. Since the allocation categories were ordered, a sensitivity analysis using two alternatively weighted κ statistics was also undertaken—the results were very similar: OR: 0.945 (95% CI: 0.923–0.967) and OR: 0.957 (95% CI: 0.939–0.975).
Table 2 presents the association between pairing results and study characteristics. The study’s observational units, data collection start date, proportion of biological samples collected and mode of questionnaire administration are each associated with pairing results in a series of univariate models. The table also presents the variables that were associated with pairing results using a multivariate model (observational units, data collection start date and mode of questionnaire administration). When considering only the nine studies that exhibit characteristics that typically facilitate harmonization (i.e. those enrolling individual participants, not families; commencing after the year 2000 and using computerized questionnaires), the overall proportion of ‘Complete/Partial Proximate’ matches was 50%. This proportion is higher than the 38% seen when all 53 studies are considered.
Three variable-specific characteristics exhibited substantive association with the potential for harmonization (Table 3): variable importance; individual targeted by the variable; period targeted by the variable. About 62% of pairing matches for variables considered as collecting ‘essential’ information were ‘Complete/Partial Proximate’, compared with 43% for variables considered ‘important’ and 22% for variables classified as ‘useful’. For the nine studies outlined in the section above, when only the ‘essential’ variables are considered (38 variables), 81% of pairing matches are either ‘Complete’ or ‘Partial Proximate’.
A case study is used to illustrate the potential scientific utility of harmonization under the DataSHaPER. It was defined during a workshop involving participating studies and explores the possibility to investigate the association between blood pressure and five risk factors: education level; body mass index; physical activity; current alcohol use and cigarette consumption (Table 4). Variables were initially chosen based on their scientific relevance, but harmonization potential was also considered in order to finalize selection. As noted earlier, although age and sex variables were not included in the formal harmonization process, they were nonetheless available for all participating studies and could be included as covariates in this pooled analysis.
Based on the pairing results, 14 studies (~2 million participants) could potentially collaborate fully in a pooled analysis of associations between blood pressure and the stated factors. For the 14 studies, it is anticipated that DNA will ultimately be collected from a total of 1.6 million participants (1.2 million samples have already been collected). The differences between these 14 studies and the remaining 39 were explored. The 14 studies differed from the rest for all characteristics outlined in Table 2 with the exception of the ‘targeted number of participants’ characteristic. For example, they all targeted individuals, all except one began after the year 2000, and they used a computer more frequently as the administration mode for questionnaires.
In a second illustrative example, ‘Occurrence of diabetes (participant)’, ‘Occurrence of diabetes in the family’ and ‘Body mass index’ could be successfully recreated by 11 studies. If gene–environment interactions were to be examined, biological samples are expected to be collected from 848000 participants in these 11 studies.
The current article provides an overview of the potential for the DataSHaPER approach to serve as foundation for retrospective harmonization across large population-based studies. There can be little doubt that the overall harmonization observed seems good enough to provide real scientific utility. However, the potential for harmonization is influenced by the types of variables targeted and study characteristics.
Recognition of an ‘acceptable but restricted’ level of heterogeneity is inherent to the DataSHaPER approach. Harmonization potential would be much lower if the use of ‘identical’ data collection procedures and tools were required to synthesize data. As an illustrative example, 16 (30%) of the participating studies used the specific wording ‘Has a doctor (or physician) ever told you that you had diabetes?’ in their questionnaire. The flexibility provided by the DataSHaPER approach increased the potential for harmonization to 89% (47 studies allowed construction of the variable ‘Occurrence of diabetes’). As an example of flexibility, even if two distinct questions for types 1 and 2 diabetes were used, the variable ‘Occurrence of diabetes’ could be constructed. However, it can be hazardous to achieve harmonization procedures without using ‘systematic-’ and ‘scientifically-based’ rules and procedures. For example, the potential to harmonize the question ‘Has a health professional ever told you that you have diabetes or high blood sugar levels?’ could be interpreted differently by two independent investigators. In order to ensure quality of the harmonization process and, thus, the quality and scientific usefulness of the final database generated, it is essential to follow rigorous procedures and to have access to systematic and comprehensive information on the data collection procedures adopted by the studies involved.
Although this project has helped demonstrate the value of the DataSHaPER, some of its limitations must be highlighted. These limitations can be related to the: (i) variables selected and pairing rules defined; (ii) participating studies; and (iii) harmonization process. First, even if defined under consensus workshops, there is inevitably an element of subjectivity in variable selection and pairing rules definition. Furthermore, the Generic DataSchema was developed in order to support the harmonization of general purpose baseline questionnaires and physical measures. The variables and pairing rules have been selected and defined in that context. Therefore, they will not be appropriate for ‘all’ scientific questions that could potentially be addressed using the harmonized information. DataSchemas developed by new research programmes could certainly make use of the variables and rules already developed, but investigators will have to ensure proper customization of the variables and rules, or develop completely new DataSchemas to reflect their specific needs. The second point refers to participating studies. A relatively good participation rate was observed. However, sampling was ultimately based on a comprehensive, but finite number of studies and specific selection criteria (e.g. availability of questionnaires in French or English). Furthermore, a higher participation rate was observed for studies launched after 2000. Consequently, participating studies should not be considered as representative of ‘all’ studies with similar profiles. The third point relates to the quality of the harmonization process. A rigorous approach has been used in order to achieve harmonization. However, as the current exercise was the first harmonization project to make use of the DataSHaPER tools, procedures and web interfaces were necessarily tailored as the project proceeded. Furthermore, even though the present article formally evaluates the harmonization potential of the DataSHaPER, actual pooling of data was not achieved and therefore quality of a common database cannot be assessed. Further work is therefore underway in order to formally validate the quality of real data that have been synthesized using the DataSHaPER.
In addition to the integration of formal procedures to assess the quality of synthesized databases generated, several additional developments will be required in the near future, if we are to optimize the utility of the DataSHaPER. For example, the current article focuses on information collected from participants at baseline interview, but it is essential to extend the harmonization process to longitudinal data. The DataSHaPER software and ontology is currently customized to integrate repeated assessments in order to respond to that issue. Furthermore, harmonization was initially limited to questionnaires and physical measures. To broaden the scope and to increase the utility of the platform, the DataSHaPER is also being customized to integrate information extracted from additional sources, such as biospecimen repositories (e.g. samples processing and banking conditions) and registries (e.g. hospitalization, disease, death registries, environmental databases).
A number of more generic challenges must also be noted. First, important technical considerations need to be addressed to enable data synthesis. For example, the heterogeneity of the information management systems (e.g. Excel spreadsheet, SQL relational databases, SAS, SPSS, etc.) used by studies represents an important obstacle. To enable synthesis, a common data model that facilitates a consistent data representation across studies needs to be implemented in addition to the application of variable transformation rules (i.e. algorithms) that enable unit conversions and harmonized variable construction. Restrictive data-access policies and participant consent forms that prevent studies from sending individual data to third parties (e.g. a central data warehouse) also represent an important challenge for data pooling. However, there are ways to circumvent such problems, for example, by implementing a federated database network through methodological tools such as DataSHIELD10 or using aggregated data in a study-level meta-analysis. Nevertheless, the potential for access to data and samples seems to be generally good for the participating studies. A survey has been conducted by P3G to document the access policies of the 53 participating studies. To date, information has been provided by 45 of the studies and all but 4 permit access to data and samples by external researchers. However, whenever external access to information is permitted, limitations related to consent and intellectual property issues, the costing structure imposed and the time needed to navigate formal access procedures and receive data can all represent substantial burdens on scientists wishing to make use of information.
The generous collaborative involvement of some of the world’s largest and most respected population-based studies has provided an ideal platform to launch the DataSHaPER project and will provide invaluable expertise for its future development. This first collaborative analysis will allow the improvement of the Generic DataSchema and DataSHaPER open source software. Updates, taking into account the results, of the harmonization process have been posted on the web for open access (www.datashaper.org). The collaborative analysis also raised the prospect of using the DataSHaPER far more extensively and for a wide range of different scientific purposes. We continually look to involve more population-based studies, investigators and tool developers in the DataSHaPER initiative and will welcome any suggestions or new projects making use of the platform from readers of this article. It is only through the realization of collaborative projects undertaking applied research using harmonized data that the DataSHaPER tool will be improved and that the exciting research potential provided by synthesized databases can ultimately be achieved.
Genome Canada and Genome Quebec (The Public Population Project in Genomics); Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPT); European FP6 (LSHG-CT-2006- 518418 to Promoting Harmonization of Epidemiological Biobanks in Europe); Medical Research Council Project Grant (G0601625; methods programme in genetic epidemiology at the University of Leicester that focuses on genetic statistics and largescale data harmonization and pooling); Wellcome Trust Supplementary Grant (086160/Z/08/A); National Institute for Health Research (Leicester Biomedical Research Unit in Cardiovascular Science); J.L. is a Canada Research Chair in Human Genome Epidemiology.
Supplementary Data are available at IJE online.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
We would like to thank all of the studies and biobanking experts that provided advice and information on the development of the DataSHaPER, and are now part of the ongoing collaboration that is taking the DataSHaPER project forward. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Participating Biobanks/Studies (arranged alphabetically by biobank/study, and then alphabetically by last name) are given below.
45 and Up Study (The): Emily Banks,1,2 Louisa Jorm1,3; Agricultural Health Study: Laura Beane-Freeman,4 Jane A Hoppin5; Airwave Health Monitoring Study: Paul Elliott,6 Deepa Singh6; Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Study: John Hopper,7 Australian Breast Cancer Family Study: John Hopper7; Black Women's Health Study: Lynn Rosenberg,8 Julie R Palmer8; Canadian Health Measures Survey: Gary Catlin,9 Michael Wolfson9; Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: Susan Kirkland,10 Parminder Raina,11 Christina Wolfson12,13; Cancer Prevention Study – 3: Alpa V Patel,14 Michael J Thun14; Cancer Prevention Study – II Nutrition Cohort: Susan M Gapstur,14 Michael J Thun14; CARTaGENE: Claude Laberge,15; Cohort of Swedish Men: Niclas Hakansson16 Alicja Wolk16; Constance Project: Marcel Goldberg,17 Marie Zins17; Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project: Marilyn Borugian,18,19 Richard P Gallagher,18,19 John McLaughlin,20 Louise Parker,21 John D Potter,22 Paula Robson23; The General Suburban Population Study (GESUS): Christina Ellervik24; European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition: Aurelio Barricarte,25,26 Franco Berrino,27 Heiner Boeing,28 Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault,29, 30 H Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita,31,32 Françoise Clavel-Chapelon,29,30 Miren Dorronsoro,33 Carlos A Gonzalez,34 Goran Hallmans,35 Rudolf Kaaks,36 Kay-Tee Kaw,37 Tim J Key,38 Eiliv Lund,39 Jonas Manjer,40 Traci Mouw,41 Carmen Navarro,42,43 Kim Overvad,44 Domenico Palli,45 Salvatore Panico,46 Petra HM Peeters,41, 47 Elio Riboli,41 Laudina Rodriguez,48 Isabelle Romieu,49 Maria-José Sánchez,43,50 Nadia Slimani,49 Anne Tjønneland,51 Antonia Trichopoulou,52, 53 Rosario Tumino,54 Paolo Vineis41, 55; Estonian Genome Centre: Helen Alavere,56 Andres Metspalu56; FINRISK 2002: Markus Perola57,58; Gazel Cohort Study (The): Marcel Goldberg,17 Marie Zins17; Generation Scotland – Scottish Family Health Study: Pamela Linksted,59 Andrew D Morris60; Genome Database of Latvian Population: Janis Klovins,61 Linda Tarasova61; Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study – Cohort I: Manami Inoue,62 Shoichiro Tsugane62; Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study – Cohort II: Manami Inoue,62 Shoichiro Tsugane62; KORA-gen – Cooperative health research in the Region of Augsburg: Angela Döring,63 H Erich Wichmann64,65,66; Kadoorie Study of Chronic Disease in China: Zhengming Chen,67 Liming Li68,69; Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health: Catherine Schaefer,70 Larry Walter70; Korean Multi-Centre Cohort I: Sue K Park,71,72 Keun-Young Yoo71; LifeGene: Mikael Eriksson,73 Nancy Pedersen73; LifeLines Cohort Study and Biobank: Joost Keers,74 Bruce HR Wolffenbuttel75; Malmö Diet Cancer: Jonas Manjer,40 Peter Nilsson76; Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study: Dallas R English77; Mexican-American Cohort Study: Melissa Bondy,78 Anna Wilkinson78; Moli-sani Project: Amalia De Curtis,79 Licia Iacoviello79; Montreal Heart Institute Biobank: Marie-Pierre Dubé,80 Nathalie Laplante,80 Jean-Claude Tardif80; NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study: Arthur Schatzkin,81 Yikyung Park81; NUgene Project: Rex L Chisholm,82 Wendy A Wolf82; National Child Development Study (1958 British birth cohort): Jon Johnson83; National DNA Bank – BancoADN: Andrés Garcia-Montero,84 Alberto Orfao84; National FINRISK Study 2007 (The): Markus Perola57,58; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002: Jody E McLean,85 Geraldine M McQuillan85; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III: Jody E McLean,85 Geraldine M McQuillan85; Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (The): Kristian Hveem86; Norwegian Women and Cancer Study postgenome cohort: Vanessa Dumeaux,39 Eiliv Lund39; Nutrinet-Santé: Pilar Galan,87,88 Serge Hercberg87; Screening Across the Lifespan Twin Study: Patrik KE Magnusson73; Singapore Consortium of Cohort Studies: Kee-Seng Chia,89 En Yun Loy89; Sister Study (The): Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: Lisa A DeRoo,90 Dale P Sandler90; Sweden Mamography Cohort: Niclas Hakansson,16 Alicja Wolk16; Swedish Twin Study of Adults: Genes and Environments (The): Patrik KE Magnusson73; UK Biobank: a large-scale prospective epidemiological resource: Rory Collins,91 Tim Peakman92; UK Women's Cohort Study: Victoria J Burley,93 Janet Cade,93 Darren C Greenwood93; Vitamins And Lifestyle Study: A cohort Study of Dietary Supplements and Cancer Risk; Carolyn M Hutter,94 Emily White94; Western Australia Sleep Health Study: Lyle J Palmer95,96; DataSHaPER development team: François L'Heureux,97 Geneviève Lachance,97 Cédric Thiebault,97 Anne Vilain,97 Mayss Naccache,97 Ferima Sanogo,97 Étienne Morency-Bachand,97 Clément Tamisier,97 Susan A Atkinson98 and Andrea Rengifo,98 Mylène Deschènes97
1The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia, 2National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 3School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown Campus, Penrith South, Australia, 4Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA, 5Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 6Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, and MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, London, UK, 7Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA, 9Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 10Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 11Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, 12Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Institute McGill University Health Centre Professor, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 13Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics & Occupational Health, and Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 14Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA, 15Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Canada, 16Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 17Inserm-Versaillles Saint Quentin University, Unité 1018, Hopital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France, 18Cancer Control Research, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 19Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 20Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of the Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada, 21Department of Medicine and Department of Paediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, 22Canacer Prevention Program, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Centre, Seattle, WA, USA, 23Population Health Research, Alberta Health Services – Cancer Care, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 24Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital, Naestved, Denmark, 25Navarre Institute Public Health, Pamplona, Spain, 26Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Spain, 27Epidemiology and Prevention Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy, 28Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany, 29 Inserm, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, U1018, Institut Gustave Roussy, F-94805, Villejuif, France, 30Paris South University, UMRS 1018, F-94805, Villejuif, France, 31National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands, 32Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands, 33Public Health Department of Gipuzkoa, San Sebastian, Spain, 34Unit of Nutrition, Environment and Cancer, Catalan Institute of Oncology, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain, 35Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Nutritional Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden, 36Division of Clinical Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany, 37Clinical Gerontology, University of Cambridge, UK, 38Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, 39Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway, 40Department of Surgery, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden, 41Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Imperial College London, UK, 42Epidemiology Department, Regional Health Authority, Murcia, Spain, 43CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain, 44Department of Cardiology and Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark, 45Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, CSPO-Scientific Institute of Tuscany, Florence, Italy, 46Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università di Napoli, Italy, 47Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 48Health Information Unit, Public Health and Health Planning Directorate, Asturias, Spain, 49International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC-WHO), Lyon, France, 50Escuela Andaluza de Salud Publica, Granada, Spain, 51Danish Cancer Society, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Copenhagen, Denmark, 52Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece, 53Hellenic Health Foundation, Athens, Greece, 54Cancer Registry, Azienda Ospedaliera “Civile M.P.Arezzo”, Ragusa, Italy, 55University of Torino, Torino, Italy, 56Estonian Genome Project of University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, 57National Institute for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland, 58Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki and National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, 59Generation Scotland, University of Edinburgh, Molecular Medicine Centre, Western, General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK, 60Biomedical Research Institute, University of Dundee, UK, 61Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Riga, Latvia, 62Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan, 63GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany, 64Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, 65Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, 66Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany, 67Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, 68The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China, 69School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China, 70Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, CA, USA, 71Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, 72Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, 73Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 74LifeLines, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, 75Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, 76Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden, 77Center for Genetic Epidemiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, 78Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 79Laboratory of Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology, Research Laboratories, “John Paul II” Center for High Technology Research and Education in Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy, 80Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, 81Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA, 82The Center for Genetic Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, 83Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK, 84Banco Nacional de ADN, Universidad de Salamanca, Fundacion Genoma España, Consejería de Sanidad de la Junta de Castilla y León, Spain, 85Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD, USA, 86Department of Public Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 87UMR U 557 INSERM, U 1125 INRA, CNAM, Université Paris 13, Bobigny, France, 88Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France, 89Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Centre for Molecular Epidemiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 90Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA, 91Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, 92UK Biobank, Units 1&2 Spectrum Way, Adswood, Stockport, Cheshire, UK, 93Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nutritional Epidemiology Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 94Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA, 95Genetic Epidemiology and Biostatistics Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 96Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 97Public Population Project in Genomics (P3G), Montreal, QC, Canada, 98Department of Health Sciences and Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

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