Biomedical datasets usually include a large number of features relative to the number of samples. However, some data dimensions may be less relevant or even irrelevant to the output class. Selection of an optimal subset of features is critical, not only to reduce the processing cost but also to improve the classification results. To this end, this paper presents a hybrid method of filter and wr...

 In this paper by use of mathematical modeling of an observer [14,15] the notion of relative information functional for relative dynamical systemson compact metric spaces is presented. We extract the information function ofan ergodic dynamical system (X,T) from the relative information of T fromthe view point of observer χX, where X denotes the base space of the system.We also generalize the in...

Competition among private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans is seen by some as leading to lower premiums and expanded benefits. But how much competition exists in MA markets? Using a standard measure of market competition, our analysis finds that 97 percent of markets in U.S. counties are highly concentrated and therefore lacking in significant MA plan competition. Competition is considerably lower...

Hayes's [1985] contained-stuff and piece-of-stuff ontologies for liquids sho w that it is often desirable or necessary to shift to a proper ontological abstraction i n reasoning about complex physical systems . The importance of such an ontological shift becomes clear in the resulting explanation of why the system has the manifested behavior . In this paper, we identify a charge-carrier (CC) on...

In December 2008, 8 in 10 rural Medicare beneficiaries had creditable prescription drug coverage, and over half of these beneficiaries were enrolled in a prescription drug coverage option offered through the Medicare Part D program (Figure 1). However, the array of coverage patterns for rural and urban beneficiaries is strikingly different. Rural beneficiaries are more likely to enroll in stand...

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of bene...