A proposal of quantum-inspired machine learning for medical purposes: An application case

Learning tasks are implemented via mappings of the sampled data set, including both the classical and the quantum framework. Biomedical data characterizing complex diseases such as cancer typically require an algorithmic support for clinical decisions, especially for early stage tumors that typify breast cancer patients, which are still controllable in a therapeutic and surgical way. Our case study consists of the prediction during the pre-operative stage of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients resulting in a negative diagnosis after clinical and radiological exams. The classifier adopted to establish a baseline is characterized by the result invariance for the order permutation of the input features, and it exploits stratifications in the training procedure. The quantum one mimics support vector machine mapping in a high-dimensional feature space, yielded by encoding into qubits, while being characterized by complexity. Feature selection is exploited to study the performances associated with a low number of features, thus implemented in a feasible time. Wide variations in sensitivity and specificity are observed in the selected optimal classifiers during cross-validations for both classification system types, with an easier detection of negative or positive cases depending on the choice between the two training schemes. Clinical practice is still far from being reached, even if the flexible structure of quantum-inspired classifier circuits guarantees further developments to rule interactions among features: this preliminary study is solely intended to provide an overview of the particular tree tensor network scheme in a simplified version adopting just product states, as well as to introduce typical machine learning procedures consisting of feature selection and classifier performance evaluation

Cross-cultural perspectives on illness and wellness: Implications for depression.

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationships among race, socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptomatology. Contrary to the findings of over 20 years of psychiatric epidemiology, two research teams have recently reported that Blacks, primarily those of low SES, are significantly more depressed than Whites occupying the same status. Using the same epidemiologic field survey data as one of these research groups (Whites=1,648; Blacks=450), the issues of race, SES, and depression are reopened for examination. Depressive symptomatology was measured by the Florida Health Study Depression Scale. The findings indicated that, in general, Blacks had significantly higher levels of depressive symptomatology than Whites. However, these differences were eliminated once SES, a composite of occupational status, education, and household income, was statistically controlled. Race, in other words, was not found to be an independent predictor of depression. The author concludes that poverty is hazardous to one\u27s psychological well-being and that race, by itself, is merely a proxy for socioeconomic status. In addition, methodological issues associated with the conceptualization and operationalization of socioeconomic status and mental health constructs such as depression are explored

Just the facts ma\u27am : The Supreme Court says no to media ride-alongs.

A recent decision by the United States Supreme Court restricting the scope and presence of the press during the execution of search/arrest warrants comes at the height of popularity of real-life crime TV. This paper explores this landmark court case within the context of our nation\u27s voyeuristic thirst for real-life drama. Also discussed is the growing reciprocal relationship between law enforcement and the various media. While video for popular programs are often obtained at a cost of citizens\u27 right to privacy, the authors of this paper argue that public display nevertheless plays an important function for our understanding of the criminal justice system

Tracking in the schools: Perceptions and attitudes of parents.

As America concludes the first decade of the new century, significant income and educational disparities based on race and social origin continue to persist. For many, the root cause of this disparity is an educational system that lacks equity and excellence -- especially for children of disadvantaged populations. By examining the overall impact of one common educational practice -- tracking -- this research attempts to shed light on how education can contribute to the ever widening achievement gap. Tracking, a controversial form of educational differentiation which involves the separation of students by perceived academic ability and curriculum, is pervasive in American schooling. Research on tracking is extensive and occupies a significant place in the sociology of education. In general, the research has evolved along two distinct lines of inquiry. The first considers the overall impact of this educational practice on student academic achievement while, the second, explores how student academic outcomes are mediated by teacher expectation. The current research examines another interesting dimension of this controversial issue. It attempts to uncover the reasons why tracking remains pervasive in schooling despite the large body of research evidence highlighting its negative impact on student outcomes. Earlier phases of this research, conducted by the authors, have examined the perceptions of two key stakeholders in the tracking debate, teachers and principals. This current study examines the views and perceptions of parents whose children have been tracked in order to provide additional insights as to why tracking remains widespread in American schooling. The findings reveal parents to be are among the strongest supporters of this educational practice

Tracking in the schools: Perceptions and attitudes of parents.

As America concludes the first decade of the new century, significant income and educational disparities based on race and social origin continue to persist. For many, the root cause of this disparity is an educational system that lacks equity and excellence -- especially for children of disadvantaged populations. By examining the overall impact of one common educational practice -- tracking -- this research attempts to shed light on how education can contribute to the ever widening achievement gap. Tracking, a controversial form of educational differentiation which involves the separation of students by perceived academic ability and curriculum, is pervasive in American schooling. Research on tracking is extensive and occupies a significant place in the sociology of education. In general, the research has evolved along two distinct lines of inquiry. The first considers the overall impact of this educational practice on student academic achievement while, the second, explores how student academic outcomes are mediated by teacher expectation. The current research examines another interesting dimension of this controversial issue. It attempts to uncover the reasons why tracking remains pervasive in schooling despite the large body of research evidence highlighting its negative impact on student outcomes. Earlier phases of this research, conducted by the authors, have examined the perceptions of two key stakeholders in the tracking debate, teachers and principals. This current study examines the views and perceptions of parents whose children have been tracked in order to provide additional insights as to why tracking remains widespread in American schooling. The findings reveal parents to be are among the strongest supporters of this educational practice

Adoption data and statistical trends.

There has never been a single, comprehensive, and continuous national data collection effort to capture information on all adoption activity in the 50 states of the United States and its territories. For the most part, what we know of the extent of formal adoption practices, whether public or private, domestic or international, derives from a combination of disparate data sources often pieced together and often estimated. The lack of a complete and consistent database is not surprising, argues Pertman (2000), considering that generations of secrecy have prevented us from knowing just how widespread [adoption] has become. The subject has been considered off-limits for so long, both by individuals and by society as a whole... that determining how many triad members there are—or have been—would require sorting through the individual finalization records of every courthouse in every city and town in every state. (pp. 8–9) Adoption data that are available vary in terms of purpose, reliability, and length of record-ing. The most common sources of adoption statistics today include (1) state court records of adoption filings and dispositions, (2) national foster care records compiled from state public welfare divisions, (3) U.S. State Department records of issued international visas, (4) vital records of birth certificates, and (5) general population surveys, including the U.S. Census. The first three of these capture information related to formally recognized adoptions, whereas pop-ulation surveys remain the primary sources for providing information on the extent of informal caregiving, adoption demand, and adoption-seeking behaviors. State bureaus of vital records have also been an important resource in keeping track of reissued birth certificates. Each of these data sources, coupled with recent advances in electronic data-gathering technologies, has made numerical compilation of adoption activity more possible tha

Self-reported violent victimization among young adults in Miami, Florida: Immigration, race/ethnic and gender contrasts.

Does being an immigrant place an individual at greater risk than non-immigrants for violent victimization? Could residence in homogeneous communities, such as ethnic enclaves, serve to protect or mediate victimization among immigrant groups from being targets of victimization? These and related questions are explored using self-report data from a large epidemiological survey project (n = 1,473) in Miami, Florida. Self-reports of three types of victimization data are identified and contrasted among and between Cuban and Nicaraguan immigrants, and members of the host country — U.S. born Cubans, African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. Controlling for gender, findings from this predominantly-Latino community suggest that immigrant groups in Miami are no more likely to experience vicarious, violent or sexual victimization than non-immigrants. African Americans were found to be more exposed to vicarious forms of violence. These self-report results support findings from recent macro-level criminological studies that have called into question the common stereotype of the immigrant as victim and as criminal. The authors contend that the supportive social, political and cultural environments awaiting Latino immigrants arriving in Miami may be part of a unique historic phenomenon in this Southern Port city, one that suggests a re-evaluation and fine-tuning of traditional structural models of crime and victimization