Differentially private model selection with penalized and constrained likelihood

Summary: In statistical disclosure control, the goal of data analysis is twofold: the information released must provide accurate and useful statistics about the underlying population of interest, while minimizing the potential for an individual record to be identified. In recent years, the notion of differential privacy has received much attention in theoretical computer science, machine learning and statistics. It provides a rigorous and strong notion of protection for individuals’ sensitive information. A fundamental question is how to incorporate differential privacy in traditional statistical inference procedures. We study model selection in multivariate linear regression under the constraint of differential privacy. We show that model selection procedures based on penalized least squares or likelihood can be made differentially private by a combination of regularization and randomization, and we propose two algorithms to do so. We show that our privacy procedures are consistent under essentially the same conditions as the corresponding non‐privacy procedures. We also find that, under differential privacy, the procedure becomes more sensitive to the tuning parameters. We illustrate and evaluate our method by using simulation studies and two real data examples.Accepted manuscrip

How Sleep Affects Recovery and Performance in Basketball: A Systematic Review

Background: Sleep is considered an essential component related to physiological and psychological recovery in athletes and particularly in basketball, given the impact of condensed travel and game schedules on player health and performance. Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to examine studies published to date on sleep and basketball performance. Methodology: All scientific articles that reported a relationship between sleep and its possible impact on performance in basketball are included. The research processes followed the PRISMA criteria, and the relevant articles were extracted (PubMed, WOS, Scopus) as of December 31, 2021. Results: Twenty-eight articles were selected for inclusion and data extraction, with 27 demonstrating that sleep is a vital component in the recovery of basketball players and their corresponding on-court performance. Three central themes that we identified: (1) the quality and extension of sleep (the better quality and more extension of sleep, better performance and lower probability of injury); (2) influence of the players circadian rhythm (tTravel and game scheduling do not currently facilitate or take this into account); and (3) higher training loads and/or increased stress may jeopardize a subsequent good night's sleep, which should be taken into account when scheduling practices and workouts. Conclusion: The current systematic review regarding sleep and basketball performance and highlights that there is a strong relationship between both variables. Collectively, the evidence supports the critical influence of sleep on player recovery and basketball performance and risk for injury

The Recovery Umbrella in the World of Elite Sport: Do Not Forget the Coaching and Performance Staff

In the field of sports science, the recovery umbrella is a trending topic, and even more so in the world of elite sports. This is evidenced by the significant increase in scientific publications during the last 10 years as teams look to find a competitive edge. Recovery is recognized to be an integral component to assist athlete preparation in the restoration of physical and psychological function, and subsequently, performance in elite team sports athletes. However, the importance of recovery in team staff members (sports coaches and performance staff) in elite sports appears to be a forgotten element. Given the unrelenting intense nature of daily tasks and responsibilities of team staff members, the elite sports environment can predispose coaches to increased susceptibility to psycho-socio physiological fatigue burden, and negatively affect health, wellbeing, and performance. Therefore, the aim of this opinion was to (1) develop an educational recovery resource for team staff members, (2) identify organizational task-specific fatigue indicators and barriers to recovery and self-care in team staff members, and (3) present recovery implementation strategies to assist team staff members in meeting their organizational functions. It is essential that we do not forget the coaching and performance staff in the recovery process

Sleep and Athletes

Sleep is recognized as an essential component to optimize health and human performance, and as such the topic is of increasing interest to athletes. Yet, the sleep of athletes is affected by multiple sports-specific and societal factors. Hence the recent emergence of the important role of sleep science in athlete health and performance. This review focuses on the fundamentals of sleep physiology and elaborates on the affects sleep has on athlete health and performance. Despite sports practitioners recognizing the importance of sleep on health and performance, findings report that insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are prevalent among athletic populations. This paper will describe sleep in athletes, define sleep characteristics, discuss the impact of sleep restriction following travel and competition, and strategies to mitigate sleep difficulties. Sleep is arguably the most undervalued pillar of health and performance

Urgent wake up call for the National Basketball Association

Frequent air travel and the condensed game schedule typical of a National Basketball Association (NBA) teams during the season, often results in accompanying sleep disturbances related to sleep length, sleep quality and sleep timing (with highly harmful impacts on health, both physical and mental). These issues are not only problematic for NBA players, but also the coaches, training staff and management support. In this narrative review, we summarize the detrimental effects that this travel and game schedule could have on NBA team member’s sleep, as well as their physical and mental health. Multiple peer-reviewed articles address the role of sleep in athletic performance and health, however, to date, the literature focused on sleep-related issues that are unique to the NBA schedule is scarce. Firstly, this review addresses the impact of the NBA schedule, outlining the number of games, and the travel involved (number of flights, the timing of flights, timings of arrival at destination and hotel), we also outline a typical daily NBA travel schedule, providing the reader a glimpse of what this encompasses. Secondly, we provide a brief overview of sleep science and discuss specific applications related to the NBA. Finally, we provide comment on the unique current situation of the NBA 'bubble'. Based on this review, there appears to be considerable scope for further investigation of the acute and chronic effects of sleep disturbances concerning the NBA travel and game schedule. Sleep science recommendations need to inform practice, target sleep interventions and personalized protocols designed to enhance sleep health that can be incorporated at the organizational level

From the National Basketball Association to the National Hockey League: a parallel problem exists

In light of our recent paper ‘Urgent wake up call for the National Basketball Association’, we feel it is important to highlight the parallel problem that exists in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL has nearly identical air travel and condensed game schedules to the NBA, with players and coaches encountering similar health and wellbeing issues related to accumulating travel-related sleep deprivation, circadian disruption and jet lag. In fact, the betting industry use travel as a factor for hedging bets, betting that tired teams don’t play as well! Like the NBA, the NHL schedule consists of 82 regular season games (41 each of home and road), and similar to the NBA, although the fans only see the players for the length of the game, the actual day of the players start and finishes several hours before and after the first puck drop. With early morning skate rituals and late-night games interspersed with medical treatments, media, sponsorship and family obligations, the typical daily schedules of NHL players lead to inconsistent sleep opportunities. Similar to the NBA, NHL stakeholders including players and coaches have voiced concerns about lack of sleep and fatigue

Sleep within the NBA bubble: the impact of COVID on sleep & mental health [Blog post]

A significant consideration by the performance staff heading into the NBA Bubble was the potential accumulative increase in player stress and anxiety associated with adhering to the daily NBA Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) protocols, environmental transition into the Bubble (quarantine and isolation), coupled with training and competition demands. The impact of such cumulative stress and anxiety negatively affects players mental health, resulting in significant sleep-related issues6 with detrimental effects on player health, recovery and performance. The National Basketball Players Association highlighted that the uncertainty of the situation the impact of COVID-19 on the players and staff, likely to result in a range of emotions such as “anxiety, fear, uncertainty, confusion, hypervigilance, depression, an increased sense of vulnerability, boredom, and a heightened awareness of the needs for self-care”. In response, the NBA expanded their mental health guidelines by adopting new rules that required all teams to have at least one mental health professional on their full-time staff for 2019-2020 season

The diagnosis of hereditary angioedema with C1 inhibitor deficiency: a survey of Canadian physicians and laboratories

Background: Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease resulting in random and unpredictable attacks of swelling. The swelling in C1-INH-HAE is a result of impaired regulation of bradykinin production. The fact that the array of tests needed to diagnose HAE is not always available to the treating physicians is challenging for them and their patients. Methods: The data for this article were extracted from two distinct surveys. The first survey was conducted among HAE treating physicians and aimed to determine the availability and utilization of the various assays performed to help the diagnosis of C1-INH-HAE. The second survey was conducted with the various laboratories across Canada that performs the assays used in the diagnosis of HAE. The aim of this survey was to determine the availability and profile of the various assays used in the diagnosis of C1-INH-HAE in Canada, thereby ultimately bringing a rational basis for the biological testing. Results: C1-INH functional assay was widely available in Canada (93%), but was only offered by a small numbers of hospitals meaning that there could be longer delays in the analysis of these samples that may explain why the physicians expressed a lower level of confidence in this assay (59%). Antigenic C1-INH was available to the vast majority of the physicians treating C1-INH-HAE (93%) and was considered reliable by 96% of the respondents. Antigenic C4 was found available to all Canadian physicians and, although with limited specificity, was considered very reliable by all the participants. This study revealed that 81% of physicians were able to order the antigenic C1q and the confidence in this assay was moderate (70%). Concerning genetic testing, the survey revealed that most of the CHAEN members never had to or couldn’t order this test. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for improved education and knowledge exchange, about biological assays available to Canadian physicians and their performance in proper diagnosis of C1-INH-HAE to improve confidence and access to relevant tests.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCAllergy and Immunology, Division ofMedicine, Department ofReviewedFacult