Nevin Manimala

December 4, 2018

Statistics group issues ‘statement of concern’ over ERS – Fence Post

The American Statistical Association board of directors has issued a statement of concern regarding the Trump administration’s plan to move the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service into the secretary’s office and to move most of the employees out of the Washington metropolitan area.

“Moving the ERS outside of the nation’s capital and having it in the secretary’s office undermines evidence-based policymaking in the food, agriculture and rural sectors of our economy and society,” said ASA President Lisa LaVange. “If relocated, it is likely to take years for ERS to rebuild its staff and programs to the same high (level of) quality it is now.”

“Moving the ERS from the information-providing arm of the USDA to a policy-supporting function in the secretary’s office also jeopardizes ERS’s reputation for providing policy-neutral reports, information and statistics,” said ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein.

“As a White House Office of Management and Budget policy directive states, ‘It is paramount that federal statistical agencies and recognized statistical units produce data that are impartial, clear and complete and are readily perceived as such by the public.

“Accordingly, federal statistical agencies and recognized statistical units must function in an environment that is clearly separate and autonomous from the other administrative, regulatory, law enforcement or policy-making activities within their respective departments. For ERS to meet this criterion as a federal statistical agency, it should be kept in the USDA research arm, fully insulated from the secretary’s office.

“The statement frames the concern for ERS as one of two USDA federal statistical agencies and 13 OMB-designated federal statistical agencies whose products are the foundation of U.S. evidence-based policymaking and data-driven decision-making. The document punctuates their importance by quoting a National Academy of Sciences document, Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency: ‘The reason for a statistical agency to exist is to serve as a trustworthy source of objective, relevant, accurate and timely information for decision-makers, analysts and others — both inside and outside the government — to help them understand present conditions, draw comparisons with the past and guide plans for the future.’

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“Just as the U.S. has a physical infrastructure supporting our commerce, security, health and everyday lives, we have a data infrastructure supporting decisions and policies across an equally broad swath,” added LaVange.

“Because the data from the federal statistical agencies are the gold standard of objective, timely data in their respective sectors, they are the bedrock of the US data infrastructure. Weakening our data infrastructure weakens or forestalls decisions and policymaking. This is why federal statistical agencies play such a unique and vital role in our country and why we should be doing our utmost to protect their functioning and integrity.”

December 4, 2018

statistics; +75 new citations

Lane-Fall MB, Pascual JL, Peifer HG, Di Taranti LJ, Collard ML, Jablonski J, Gutsche JT, Halpern SD, Barg FK, Fleisher LA; HATRICC study team (Kimberly Allen, BSN, RN; Mark Barry, MD; Sruthi Buddai, BA; Tyler Chavez, BA; Mahrukh Choudhary, BA; Della George; Megan Linehan, DO; Enrique Torres Hernandez; Jerome Watts, BA.

Ann Surg. 2018 Nov 29. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003137. [Epub ahead of print]

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December 4, 2018

New building block in quantum computing demonstrated

Researchers with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a new level of control over photons encoded with quantum information. Their research was published in Optica.

Joseph Lukens, Brian Williams, Nicholas Peters, and Pavel Lougovski, research scientists with ORNL’s Quantum Information Science Group, performed distinct, independent operations simultaneously on two qubits encoded on photons of different frequencies, a key capability in linear optical quantum computing. Qubits are the smallest unit of quantum information.

Quantum scientists working with frequency-encoded qubits have been able to perform a single operation on two qubits in parallel, but that falls short for quantum computing.

“To realize universal quantum computing, you need to be able to do different operations on different qubits at the same time, and that’s what we’ve done here,” Lougovski said.

According to Lougovski, the team’s experimental system — two entangled photons contained in a single strand of fiber-optic cable — is the “smallest quantum computer you can imagine. This paper marks the first demonstration of our frequency-based approach to universal quantum computing.”

“A lot of researchers are talking about quantum information processing with photons, and even using frequency,” said Lukens. “But no one had thought about sending multiple photons through the same fiber-optic strand, in the same space, and operating on them differently.”

The team’s quantum frequency processor allowed them to manipulate the frequency of photons to bring about superposition, a state that enables quantum operations and computing.

Unlike data bits encoded for classical computing, superposed qubits encoded in a photon’s frequency have a value of 0 and 1, rather than 0 or 1. This capability allows quantum computers to concurrently perform operations on larger datasets than today’s supercomputers.

Using their processor, the researchers demonstrated 97 percent interference visibility — a measure of how alike two photons are — compared with the 70 percent visibility rate returned in similar research. Their result indicated that the photons’ quantum states were virtually identical.

The researchers also applied a statistical method associated with machine learning to prove that the operations were done with very high fidelity and in a completely controlled fashion.

“We were able to extract more information about the quantum state of our experimental system using Bayesian inference than if we had used more common statistical methods,” Williams said.

“This work represents the first time our team’s process has returned an actual quantum outcome.”

Williams pointed out that their experimental setup provides stability and control. “When the photons are taking different paths in the equipment, they experience different phase changes, and that leads to instability,” he said. “When they are traveling through the same device, in this case, the fiber-optic strand, you have better control.”

Stability and control enable quantum operations that preserve information, reduce information processing time, and improve energy efficiency. The researchers compared their ongoing projects, begun in 2016, to building blocks that will link together to make large-scale quantum computing possible.

“There are steps you have to take before you take the next, more complicated step,” Peters said. “Our previous projects focused on developing fundamental capabilities and enable us to now work in the fully quantum domain with fully quantum input states.”

Lukens said the team’s results show that “we can control qubits’ quantum states, change their correlations, and modify them using standard telecommunications technology in ways that are applicable to advancing quantum computing.”

Once the building blocks of quantum computers are all in place, he added, “we can start connecting quantum devices to build the quantum internet, which is the next, exciting step.”

Much the way that information is processed differently from supercomputer to supercomputer, reflecting different developers and workflow priorities, quantum devices will function using different frequencies. This will make it challenging to connect them so they can work together the way today’s computers interact on the internet.

This work is an extension of the team’s previous demonstrations of quantum information processing capabilities on standard telecommunications technology. Furthermore, they said, leveraging existing fiber-optic network infrastructure for quantum computing is practical: billions of dollars have been invested, and quantum information processing represents a novel use.

The researchers said this “full circle” aspect of their work is highly satisfying. “We started our research together wanting to explore the use of standard telecommunications technology for quantum information processing, and we have found out that we can go back to the classical domain and improve it,” Lukens said.

Lukens, Williams, Peters, and Lougovski collaborated with Purdue University graduate student Hsuan-Hao Lu and his advisor Andrew Weiner. The research is supported by ORNL’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program.

December 4, 2018

Mental health data ‘horrifying’: Minnesota employers’ group seeks to improve statistics for workers, and the bottom line – Duluth News Tribune

“It’s very practical because they spend millions of dollars on benefits,” Krause said. “They’re not satisfied with the status quo.”

For the past two years, the group’s focus has been on mental health, and it’s an area where they definitely are not satisfied, Krause said.

Krause cites data from MN Community Measurement, an independent nonprofit that tracks medical care in the state. The data show that only 8 percent of Minnesotans show improvement six months after being diagnosed with depression.

“Employers look at that data, and they say that’s just horrifying,” Krause said. “We’re not giving up on this depression because when only 8 percent of the people get better after six months, that’s not acceptable.”

It also affects employers’ bottom lines. The National Council for Behavioral Health reports that 35 million workdays are lost each year because of mental illness. The cost of untreated mental illness, it reports, is $105 billion annually, mostly from lost productivity.

‘Bright spots’

But there are “noteworthy bright spots,” said Julie Sonier, president of MN Community Measurement. “And Essentia Health is one of them.”

In its “Depression Care in Minnesota” 2018 report, the nonprofit singled out 15 clinics from Minnesota or nearby that achieved top ratings for depression remission at 12 months. Eight of the 15 were Essentia clinics, including those in Superior, Hibbing, Ashland and the Lakeside neighborhood.

Krause cites Best Buy as another bright spot.

The Richfield, Minn.-based retailer has aggressively focused on mental health this year, said Liz Beckius, a senior manager on its human resources team. That included redefining her job. Previously, she had been managing eight programs. Now it’s three, one of which is mental health benefits.

“It’s an everyday priority, not just for a campaign or a period of time,” Beckius said.

One of Best Buy’s initiatives relies on high-ranking executives who have been willing to share their stories of battling depression and other mental illnesses with employees, she said. That helps dispel the myth that “if you have depression you can’t be successful or you’re some kind of loser.”

Storytelling sessions take place at Best Buy’s 5,000-employee corporate headquarters, Beckius said. For the 100,000 employees spread out over 50 states, there are webinars, and employees post their stories on the company’s internal news channel.

‘F’ for equity

But Minnesota employers need to do a better job of ensuring their benefit plans cover mental health care, said Sue Abderholden, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Minnesota.

This year was the 10-year anniversary of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health and Parity and Addiction Equity Act, designed to provide comparable coverage for mental and behavioral treatment as for physical health treatment.

The legislation was a hallmark of Sen. Wellstone’s career, but compliance in his home state has been abysmal, Abderholden said. She cited a report this year from the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity at the Morehouse School of Medicine. It gave Minnesota an F. Minnesota was not alone; 43 states got a D or an F, and only Illinois got an A.

The absence of parity plays out in a number of ways, Abderholden said. For example, most private insurance plans will pay for rehabilitation for a knee or hip, she said; many won’t pay for residential mental health treatment.

“We have one large employer that decided not to pay for family therapy for children,” she said. “That’s like saying you won’t care for diabetes.”

Krause agreed that equity hasn’t been achieved.

“When that law went into place, employers removed all the limits that used to be in place on mental health care,” she said. “What we see now is looking at it in a more sophisticated fashion, there’s no parity because the (provider) networks aren’t as broad. … You might not be able to get in. You might not have the access.”

Best Buy focuses less on its health plan than on its employee assistance plan, Beckius said, because it’s available to all employees, full time and part time, as well as to their families. As the company stepped up its efforts to increase awareness of mental illness, it expected its costs from offering the plan would go up, she said. They have.

What effect improvement in employee mental health has on the bottom line is difficult to measure, Beckius said, although employees say they can better serve the company when they’re feeling better.

When it comes to employee health, the bottom line isn’t her goal, she said.

“It’s about them being healthy, strong and productive human beings,” Beckius said. “It’s great. It’s great for our stores. It’s great for our customers. It’s great for our communities.”

= = =

‘Make it OK’ raising awareness in Duluth

The “Make It OK” campaign that began in Duluth this year after starting in six other Minnesota communities in 2017 is an effort to remove the stigma about mental health.

By the end of May, 36 employers with 26,000 employees in Duluth and the surrounding area were involved in the effort, said Shannon Sweeney Jorgenson of Northland Healthy Minds, which coordinates the work locally.

The results have been relatively encouraging, Jorgenson said. In survey results released last month, 46 percent of Duluth area residents said they were aware of programs or campaigns to raise awareness of mental health, compared with 33 percent across the other communities. It was 37 percent in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

In Duluth, 74 percent of respondents said they would be comfortable talking to someone about their mental illness. In the other communities, that ranged from 63 to 69 percent.

As Northland Healthy Minds gears up for another campaign next year, more employers are signing on to “Make it OK,” Jorgenson said.

“It’s showing employees that their employers care about this,” she said. “It makes sense not just from the standpoint of the bottom line but because it’s the right thing to do.”

= = =

Course teaches mental health first aid

Many employees have been trained in what to do if a colleague stops breathing or goes into cardiac arrest.

Do they know what to do if a colleague experiences a mental health crisis?

Deb Krause, vice president of the Minnesota Health Action Group, said the agency brought in a trainer this year to teach about mental health first aid at work.

The training was created in Australia in 2001 and brought to the U.S. in 2007 by The National Council for Behavioral Health, said Betsy Schwartz, the nonprofit’s vice president for public education and strategic initiatives.

It’s taught in an eight-hour course for certification in mental health first aid, but there’s also a four-hour version for corporations, Schwartz said. The agency has trained “about 30” companies across the country.

The training relies on the acronym ALGEE:

A — Approach, acknowledge risk, assist.

L — Listen nonjudgmentally.

G — Give reassurance and information.

E — Encourage professional help.

E — Encourage self-help.

It’s intended as triage for a situation, not a cure, Schwartz said. “CPR is not training anyone to be a cardiologist,” she said. “Mental health first aid is not training anyone to be a therapist.”

The agency trains more than 1,000 people in the U.S. every day, Schwartz said. “The training is saving lives every day.”

December 3, 2018

Statistics on International Development: Final UK Aid spend 2017 – World – ReliefWeb

About this release The publication focuses on the key international measure of official aid spend, known as Official Development Assistance (ODA)1. Box 1 explains the definition of ODA.

Box 1 – Key Definition: Official Development Assistance Official Development Assistance (ODA) is produced according to standardised definitions and methodologies of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee. ODA is defined as resource flows to developing countries1 and multilateral organisations, which are provided by official agencies (e.g. the UK Government) or their executive agencies, where each transaction meets the following tests:
• It is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective; and
• It is concessional, including grants and soft loans2.
A glossary, explaining key terms used throughout this report, is available in Annex 1 of SID.
ODA is a calendar year cash flow measure and considers repayments as well as spend3.

It contains the release of finalised UK ODA spend figures for the calendar year, 2017, and includes total UK spend on ODA, including the UK’s ODA:GNI ratio; trends in the last five years (2013 to 2017 inclusive as shown in most tables) and key breakdowns by government department, recipient country or organisation, type of assistance and purpose.

This publication updates previous provisional figures of UK ODA for 2017 published in April 2018 4.

December 3, 2018

Artificial intelligence for studying the ancient human populations of Patagonia

Argentine and Spanish researchers have used statistical techniques of automatic learning to analyze mobility patterns and technology of the hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited the Southern Cone of America, from the time they arrived about 12,000 years ago until the end of the 19th century. Big data from archaeological sites located in the extreme south of Patagonia have been used for this study.

The presence of humans on the American continent dates back to at least 14,500 years ago, according to datings made at archaeological sites such as Monte Verde, in Chile’s Los Lagos Region. But the first settlers continued moving towards the southernmost confines of America.

Now, researchers from Argentina’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and two Spanish institutions (the Spanish National Research Council and the University of Burgos) have analyzed the relationships between mobility and technology developed by those societies that originated in the far south of Patagonia.

The study, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, is based on an extensive database of all available archaeological evidence of human presence in this region, from the time the first groups arrived in the early Holocene (12,000 years ago) until the end of the 19th century.

This was followed by the application of machine learning techniques, a statistical system that allows the computer to learn from many data (in this case, big data from characteristic technological elements of the sites) in order to carry out classifications and predictions.

“It is by means of automatic classification algorithms that we have identified two technological packages or ‘landscapes’: one that characterizes pedestrian hunter-gatherer groups (with their own stone and bone tools) and the other characterizing those that had nautical technology, such as canoes, harpoons and mollusc shells used to make beads,” explains Ivan Briz i Godino, an archaeologist of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina and co-author of the work.

“In future excavations, when sets of technological elements such as those we have detected appear, we’ll be able to directly deduce the type of mobility of the group or the connections with other communities,” adds Briz.

The results of the study have also made it possible to obtain maps with the settlements of the two communities, and this, in turn, has made it possible to locate large regions in which they interacted and shared their technological knowledge. In the case of groups with nautical technology, it has been confirmed that they arrived at around the beginning of the Mid-Holocene (some 6,000 years ago) from the channels and islands of the South Pacific, moving along the coast of what is now Chile.

“Traditional archaeology identifies sites, societies and their possible contacts on the basis of specific elements selected by specialists (such as designs of weapon tips or decorative elements), but here we show that it is more interesting to analyse sets of technological elements as a whole, using artificial intelligence techniques that allow us to work with large data volumes and without subjective prejudices,” concludes Briz.

December 3, 2018

Vital Statistics: Dec. 3, 2018 – News – GoErie.com

MARRIAGES

MARRIAGE LICENSES ISSUED

BETWEEN NOV. 19 AND NOV. 23

Bliley, Roger Dennis, 58, 12528 Circuit Road, Waterford; Lopez, April Anne, 51, 12528 Circuit Road, Waterford.

Bretz, Tyler Joseph, 25, 162 Brookwood Way N., Ontario, Ohio; Bobrowicz, Emily Rose, 24, 162 Brookwood Way N., Ontario, Ohio.

Ditullio, Matthew David, 30, 525 S. Church St., Apt. 1614, Charlotte, North Carolina; Gift, Kizzy Danika, 31, 525 S. Church St., Apt. 1614, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Guilford, Robert James, 41, 7390 Sage Crossing, Fairview; Vakil, Oshra, 40, 7390 Sage Crossing, Fairview.

Matson, Norbert Joseph, 88, 8223 Willow Glen; Cesnick, Thelma Lenora, 86, 8223 Willow Glen.

Needle, James Hale, 37, 709 Kenny St., West Mifflin; Barnes, Jessica Marie, 33, 670 Madison Ave., Apt. 301, Memphis, Tennessee.

BIRTHS

MAGEE-WOMENS, UPMC

HAMOT

NOV. 18

A son to Christopher Lee and Emily Catherine Seib Young, Erie.

A son to Timothy and Stephannie Litz, Waterford.

NOV. 19

A daughter to Daniel and Emily Clark, Fairview.

A daughter to Maria G. Ramirez, Erie.

A daughter to Keith Allen and Megan Rae Gutowski von Volkenburg, Millcreek Township.

A son to Matthew and Laura Mangus, Erie.

NOV. 20

A son to Sheronda Crockett, Erie.

A daughter to Matthew and Shannon Boyd, North East.

A daughter to Carl John and Tayler Lauren Parkin, Cambridge Springs.

A son to Dawn Ross, Erie.

A son to Jasmine A. Lopez, Erie.

NOV. 21

A son to Jose and Maria Pinales, Erie.

A son to Christopher and Kayla Skrekla, North East.

NOV. 22

A son to Brooklyne Repine, Warren.

A daughter to Michael and Lauren Smith, Waterford.

NOV. 23

A son to Andrew and Courtney Mackowski, Millcreek Township.

NOV. 24

A daughter to Christopher and Tina Ulrich, Millcreek Township.

SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL

NOV. 8

A daughter to Cristian Manuel Rivera-Negron and Migdalia Ester Lopez Rivera, Erie.

NOV. 13

A daughter to Mark and Allison Waldinger, Girard.

A son to Shawn Michael and Mary Kate McCray, Corry.

A daughter to Mark and Allison Waldinger, Girard.

NOV. 16

A daughter to Felicita Andio, Erie.

NOV. 19

A son to Ashley Mae Dempsey, Erie.

DIVORCES

DIVORCES GRANTED NOV. 1

TO NOV. 14

Carlotti, Richard L. vs. Carlotti, Mary J.

Rearick, Brett A. vs. Rearick, Bonnie S.

Knox, Tracy vs. Knox, John.

Fresch, Malia A. vs. Fresch, Rick K.

Plott, Angela Paulette vs. Plott, Timothy Reed.

Prindle, Jill E. vs. Prindle, Robert L.

Plyler, Damon J. vs. Plyler, Alicia E.

Abdulzahra, Noor Katham vs. Al, Mahmedsado Abdlamir.

Lavery, Cheryl L. vs. Lavery, William T.

Miller Jr., Levon vs. Miller, Kenyatta.

Kamholz, Emily K. vs. Kamholz, Michael.

Haller, Jennifer vs. Haller, Nicholas.

Meighen, Mitchel Scott vs. Meighen, Elizabeth Anne.

Cruz-Moina, Jorge L. vs. Torres-Vargas, Zuleika.

Sundberg, Craig, vs. Sundberg, Megan.

Canella, Elizabeth vs. Canella, John.

Tramontana, Douglas M. vs. Tramontana, Katie L.

Frost, William, vs. Frost, Johanna.

Donikowski, Mary A. vs. Donikowski, Kevin P.

Filutze, Michael A. vs. Filutze, Katharine B.

BANKRUPTCIES

U.S. FEDERAL COURT BANKRUPTCY

Anderson, Michael D., 1917 Camphausen Ave., 18-11180-Tpa, Nov. 13, Chapter 13.

Bernatt, Thomas A., 5312 Loomis St., Lot 249, North East, 18-11171-Tpa, Nov. 12, Chapter 7.

Dunbar, Michael G, 247 W. 29th St., 18-11184-Tpa, Nov. 15, Chapter 13.

Johnson, Pleshette, 139 Euclid Ave., 18-11181-Tpa, Nov. 13, Chapter 7.

Kossbiel, Kris Lawrence, 1052 W. 31st St., 18-11191-Tpa, Nov. 15, Chapter 13.

Kufner, Emily C., 1416 Peace Park, Apt. 4, 18-11187-Tpa, Nov. 15, Chapter 7.

Mckelvey, Michael K., 2420 Filmore Ave., Apt. 15, 18-11174-Tpa, Nov. 12, Chapter 7.

Murosky, John Paul, 2300 Lakeside Drive, 18-11188-Tpa, Nov. 14, Chapter 13.

Nolen, Delthia Ann, 2112 McClelland Ave., 18-11188-Tpa, Nov. 15, Chapter 13.

St., Carrie, 220 Fifth St., Corry, 18-11173-Tpa, Nov. 12, Chapter 7.

Walsh, Catherine E., 102 Gibson Lane, Edinboro, 18-11179-Tpa, Nov. 13, Chapter 13.

December 1, 2018

Box score from Kentucky’s 78-61 win over to UNC Greensboro – Lexington Herald-Leader

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team took on UNC Greensboro in Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon. The 10th-ranked Wildcats defeated the Spartans 78-61.

Next up for Kentucky (7-1) is a trip to Madison Square Garden in New York to take on Seton Hall in the Citi Hoops Classic next Saturday.

Kentucky’s statistical leaders in Saturday’s game:

Points: Reid Travis, 22

Rebounds: Travis, 12

Assists: Ashton Hagans, 3

Steals: Hagans, 3

Blocks: Tyler Herro, Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery and Hagans, 1

Turnovers: PJ Washington, 4

Click here to view a complete statistics report from the game.

LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER SPORTS PASS

The Herald-Leader is now offering a digital sports-only one-year subscription for $30. You’ll get unlimited access to all Herald-Leader sports stories.

December 1, 2018

Fortnite Winter Royale Tournament Statistics – FortniteINTEL

The Fortnite Winter Royale European Finals began December 1st at 12PM ET! Check out the statistics from the North American and European Qualifiers below.

Colin Fogle, Esports Designer at Epic Games working on Fortnite, has shared some very interesting statistics for the Winter Royale North American and European Qualifiers on Twitter.

Statistics include Total Players, Shots Fired, Hours Played, and more. Check them out!

9,200,000 Unique Players
572,014 Matches Played
2,360,000,000 Shots Fired
186,000 Hours Played
13,320,000 Total Points
1,890,000 Fall Damage Deaths
23,100,000,000 Resources Harvested
633,000 Storm Deaths

The European Winter Royale Grand Finals have just began at the time of writing. $500,000 in prize money is on the line.

The online open qualifier was massive, as indicated by the above statistics. There are representatives from 24 nations playing in the EU Grand Finals today.

If the previous matches were any indication, this series is sure to be a sight to watch as it will be the top 100 EU players playing today.

Check out Fortnite’s Winter Royale Stream at Twitch.tv/Fortnite. Who are you rooting for, how has the Winter Royale been from a viewer’s perspective so far?

December 1, 2018

statistics; +72 new citations

Ann Surg. 2018 Nov 29. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003137. [Epub ahead of print]

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