In this paper we analyze the effects of some distortions induced by prospective payment system, i.e. Upcoding, Cream Skimming and Readmissions, on hospitals’ technical efficiency. We estimate a production function using a population–based dataset composed by all active hospitals in an Italian region during the period 1998–2007. We show that cream skimming and upcoding have a negative impact on ...

An adaptive speech rate control technology for ultra fast listening that is equivalent to skimming is described. Nowadays, listening to audio books on mobile devices is quite common. People read books at various levels of detail from close reading to skimming. Although a similar feature to skimming is required to efficiently obtain information from audio sources, there is no tool equivalent to ...

Premise of the study The use of genome skimming allows systematists to quickly generate large data sets, particularly of sequences in high abundance (e.g., plastomes); however, researchers may be overlooking data in low abundance that could be used for phylogenetic or evo-devo studies. Here, we present a bioinformatics approach that explores the low-abundance portion of genome-skimming next-gen...

Risk-adjusted capitation payments (RACPs) to competing health insurers are an essential element of market-oriented health care reforms in many countries. RACPs based on demographic variables only are insufficient, because they leave ample room for cream skimming. However, the implementation of improved RACPs does not appear to be straightforward. A solution might be to supplement imperfect RACP...

Today’s interfaces for time-scaled audio replay have limitations especially regarding highly interactive tasks such as skimming and searching, which require quick temporary speed changes. Motivated by this shortcoming, we introduce a new interaction technique for speech skimming based on the so called rubberband metaphor. We propose an “elastic” audio slider which is especially useful for tempo...

The article actualizes the topic of skimming in foreign language. author describes characteristics and notes main problems faced by first- second-year students a non-linguistic university when reading linear or non-linear electronic text materials language for skimming. features an environment. presents comparison sources information with traditional paper sources. reasons possible cognitive ov...

This paper describes how tangential impact velocities can be incorporated into wellknown impact theories in deep and shallow water. Taking the deep and shallow flows in turn, it is shown how to link the normal impact Wagner and Korobkin theories to the tangential impact theories of planing and skimming respectively. An instability is revealed that limits the configurations that can be analysed ...

We define the notion of K-covering of automata with multiplicity (in a semiring K) that extend the one of covering of automata. We make use of this notion, together with the Schützenberger construct that we have explained in a previous work and that we briefly recall here, in order to give a direct and constructive proof of a fundamental theorem on N-rational power series. In a previous work (c...