Towards Federated Learning on the Quantum Internet

While the majority of focus in quantum computing has so far been on monolithic quantum systems, quantum communication networks and the quantum internet in particular are increasingly receiving attention from researchers and industry alike. The quantum internet may allow a plethora of applications such as distributed or blind quantum computing, though research still is at an early stage, both for its physical implementation as well as algorithms; thus suitable applications are an open research question. We evaluate a potential application for the quantum internet, namely quantum federated learning. We run experiments under different settings in various scenarios (e.g. network constraints) using several datasets from different domains and show that (1) quantum federated learning is a valid alternative for regular training and (2) network topology and nature of training are crucial considerations as they may drastically influence the models performance. The results indicate that more comprehensive research is required to optimally deploy quantum federated learning on a potential quantum internet

Work Requirements in Public Housing: Impacts on Tenant Employment and Evictions

In recent years, many have debated adopting work requirements in the public housing program, and a limited number of public housing agencies (PHA) have implemented these policies through the flexibility provided by the Moving to Work program. One such agency—the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA)—has implemented a work requirement across five (of 15) public housing developments that mandates households to work 15 hr weekly or face sanctions. This article evaluates this policy and presents the first empirical analysis on the outcomes of a work requirement on employment and evictions. We find that, following work requirement enforcement, the percentage of impacted households paying minimum rent (a proxy for nonemployment) decreased versus a comparison group. Analysis of additional data on both employment and hours worked indicates similar results regarding employment gains, but no increase in average hours worked. We find no evidence that work requirement sanctions increased evictions, and very modest evidence that enforcement increased the rate of positive move-outs such as moves to unsubsidized housing

Selecting Aquifer Wells for Planned Gyroscopic Logging

Understanding the configuration of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer's water table is made difficult, in part, due to borehole deviation in aquifer wells. A borehole has deviation if it is not vertical or straight. Deviation impairs the analysis of water table elevation measurements because it results in measurements that are greater than the true distance from the top of the well to the water table. Conceptual models of the water table configuration are important to environmental management decision-making at the INEEL; these models are based on measurements of depth to the water table taken from aquifer wells at or near the INEEL. When accurate data on the amount of deviation in any given borehole is acquired, then measurements of depth-to-water can be adjusted to reflect the true depth so more accurate conceptual models can be developed. Collection of additional borehole deviation data with gyroscopic logging is planned for selected wells to further our confidence in the quality of water level measurements. Selection of wells for the planned logging is based on qualitative and quantitative screening criteria. An existing data set from magnetic deviation logs was useful in establishing these criteria however, are considered less accurate than gyroscopic deviation logs under certain conditions. Population distributions for 128 aquifer wells with magnetic deviation data were used to establish three quantitative screening thresholds. Qualitative criteria consisted of administrative controls, accessibility issues, and drilling methods. Qualitative criteria eliminated all but 116 of the 337 aquifer wells, in the vicinity of the INEEL, that were initially examined in this screening effort. Of these, 72 have associated magnetic deviation data; 44 do not. Twenty-five (25) of the 72 wells with magnetic deviation data have deviation greater than one of the three quantitative screening thresholds. These 25 are recommended for the planned gyroscopic borehole deviation surveying. Nineteen (19) of the 44 wells without magnetic deviation data were selected for the planned gyroscopic logging based on their location relative to facilities, site boundaries, and contaminant transport concerns. In total, 44 aquifer wells (25 with magnetic deviation data and 19 without) are recommended for planned gyroscopic logging

Individual Development Accounts and Post-Secondary Education: Evidence From a Randomized Experiment

This paper presents evidence from a randomized field experiment testing the impact of a 3-year matched savings program on educational outcomes 10 years later. We examine the effect of an Individual Development Account (IDA) program on educational enrollment, degree completion, and increased education level. The IDA program, which ran from 1998 to 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, provided low-income households with financial education and matching funds for qualified savings withdrawals, including a 1:1 match for educational uses. We find a significant impact on education enrollment and positive, but non-significant impacts on degree completion and increase in level of education. We also examine the interaction between gender and treatment assignment and find that the IDA had a strong positive effect on increased educational attainment for males, but not for females

IEMI - Bedrohungspotenzial von Flughäfen

In diesem Beitrag wird eine Gefährdungsanalyse von Flughäfen gegenüber elektromagnetischen Bedrohungsformen durchgeführt. Dazu wird zunächst auf die Infrastruktur von Flughäfen eingegangen. Dabei wird anhand der Betrachtung mehrerer Flughäfen (Flughafen Hannover, Frankfurt und Düsseldorf sowie Serverraum des Flughafens Hannover) verdeutlicht, dass jeder Flughafen andere Schwachstellen aufweist und individuell analysiert werden muss. Anschließend werden zwei Formen elektromagnetischer Wirkmittel unterschieden: High Power Microwave (HPM) und Ultra Wide Band (UWB-Pulse). Insbesondere wird der Aufbau solcher Störquellen vorgestellt und daraus resultierend auch der nötige Aufwand und das dafür erforderliche technische Know-How verdeutlicht. Bezüglich des Serverraums des Flughafen Hannovers zeigte sich deutlich, dass trotz des Wandmaterials des Raumes noch ausreichend Feldstärke innerhalb des Raumes erzeugt wird. Damit sind die Systeme anfällig für elektromagnetische Störfelder. Außerdem wurde anhand des Aufbaus eines UWB- und HPM-Wirkmittels verdeutlicht, dass diese Störquellen mit dem Grundwissen der Elektrotechnik umgesetzt werden können. Die dafür benötigten Komponenten sind in sämtlichen Elektronikfachmärkten frei verfügbar und günstig zu erwerben. Die organisatorischen Maßnahmen umfassen die Benachrichtigung der zuständigen Sicherheitskräfte und deren Eingriff. Dies geschieht bei der Vermutung, dass es sich gezielt um eine bewusst hervorgerufene Störung handelt. Außerdem werden Techniker und Mitarbeiter der Deutschen Flugsicherung vor Ort bestellt, um das Problem zu beheben. Nachträgliche Installationen, die die Zuverlässigkeit der technischen Einrichtungen gewährleisten, sind zu kostenaufwändig. Diese Maßnahmen sollten bereits in der Planung berücksichtigt werden. Eine Verbesserung kann die Ausstattung des Flughafens mit einem Sensornetzwerk sein, das Störsignale von Nutzsignalen unterscheidet und ortet

Long-Term Follow-Up of Individual Development Accounts: Evidence From the ADD Experiment

Long-Term Follow-Up of Individual Development Accounts: Evidence From the ADD Experimen

Effects of an Individual Development Account Program on Retirement Saving: Follow-Up Evidence From a Randomized Experiment

Using data from a randomized experiment that ran from 1998 to 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we examine the 10-year follow-up effects on retirement saving of an Individual Development Account (IDA) program. The IDA program included financial education, encouragement to save, and matching funds for several qualified uses of the savings, including contributions to retirement accounts. The results indicate that, as of 2009, 6 years after the program ended, the IDA program had no impact on the propensity to hold a retirement account, the account balance, or the sufficiency of retirement balances to meet retirement expenses

Coordinating Housing and Social Services: The New Imperative

Historically, liberals and conservatives have disagreed over the causes of poverty. Recently, however, their attitudes toward existing public programs to assist the poor have converged. Liberals and conservatives alike have criticized these programs for failing to move people out of poverty. More specifically, public housing and other programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) have been faulted for having built-in incentives that discourage recipients from increasing their incomes. The lack of coordination among the various social assistance programs has also been criticized. A person may receive job training, for example, but have to drop out because child care is unavailable. Overall, the current array of housing and social services has not effectively assisted poor families in attaining self-sufficiency. An important goal of housing and social programs should be to help individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency. This notion is reflected in recent housing and social service legislation, including the Family Support Act of 1988 and the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. These acts seek to restructure housing and social services to provide incentives and support for self-sufficiency, rather than simply maintaining recipients at a minimum standard of living

Soluble Alpha-APP (sAPPalpha) Regulates CDK5 Expression and Activity in Neurons

A growing body of evidence suggests a role for soluble alpha-amyloid precursor protein (sAPPalpha) in pathomechanisms of Alzheimer disease (AD). This cleavage product of APP was identified to have neurotrophic properties. However, it remained enigmatic what proteins, targeted by sAPPalpha, might be involved in such neuroprotective actions. Here, we used high-resolution two- dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to analyze proteome changes downstream of sAPPalpha in neurons. We present evidence that sAPPalpha regulates expression and activity of CDK5, a kinase that plays an important role in AD pathology. We also identified the cytoprotective chaperone ORP150 to be induced by sAPPalpha as part of this protective response. Finally, we present functional evidence that the sAPPalpha receptor SORLA is essential to mediate such molecular functions of sAPPalpha in neurons

Mergers and acquisitions in Ukraine's banking: recent trends

У статті розглянуто особливості розвитку ринку M&A в банківському секторі України. Виокремлено та обґрунтовано сучасні тенденції на ринку, задля отримання більш повної його характеристики.The article is contained the features of market in the banking sector of Ukraine. Outlined and justified the current trends in the market, in order to obtain more of its characteristics