Three Survey Papers: 1) A Survey of Work Done by the Bio-Systems Group of the Control Systems Laboratory; 2) Studies of Human Channel Capacity; 3) The Informational Limitations of Decision Making

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryThe scanned copy is a Coordinated Science Laboratory reprint produced in March 1965.Contract DA-36-039-SC-5669

Human Performance in Information Transmission: Part V: The Force of Habit

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryContract DA-36-039-SC-5669

Empirical Fluctuations in Information Measures

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryContract DA-36-039-SC-5669

Elección de planes de salud mediante técnicas de clasificación fuzzy (Health plans selection using fuzzy classification techniques)

In the present difficult economic situation in Argentina, most companies are making efforts in implementing cost reduction strategies. This has an impact in the way these companies choose the health coverage for their employees, specially seeking to minimize the cost and at the same time to provide the maximum satisfaction of the needs of the employees and their families. In the years preceding this crisis, since there was no pressure on the Human Resources Area to focus on minimizing costs, the selection of the health coverage was made according to the criteria that were determined by this Area and the sales executive of the health company. The price was then calculated by the health company, and presented to the customer, which could accept it or ask for another alternative. In this last case, a new plan was selected, and a new price had to be calculated. This process continued until an agreement was reached. Therefore, from the health company’s point of view, the objective of its models was to determine an adequate, fair and competitive price given the employee group and the chosen health coverage. The present paper introduces a decision model based on Fuzzy techniques, that allows to determine the better health plan according to the priorities of the customer company and the maximum cost it is prepared to assume. The company puts forward its coverage requirements with certain priorities. These requirements include the list of health services providers (hospitalization institutions, health professionals, medical exams institutions, etc), and the coinsurance percentages or amounts for each health service (amounts in charge of the employees). In the first place, the model assumptions are presented: the health services groupings such as Medical Visits, Pathology Exams and Surgical Hospitalization, the different coverage options such as a fixed coinsurance of $5 for Medical Visits and a 50$5 en Consultas" o "50% de descuento en Medicamentos", los costos de las prestaciones que dependen de la modalidad de contratación con los prestadores y otros supuestos adicionales. Seguidamente, se establece la información que debe proporcionar la empresa que conformará los datos de entrada del modelo, y brevemente se describe el método para resolver el problema. En tercer lugar, se realiza un ranking de los planes de acuerdo a las preferencias y prioridades de la empresa. Las preferencias se refieren a cada tipo de cobertura dentro de cada servicio de salud, mientras que las prioridades son la importancia que la empresa le asigna a cada categoría de servicio dentro del plan de salud. Para cada plan se calculará un índice basado en dichas preferencias y prioridades. Estas últimas estarán descriptas por números borrosos triangulares, con lo cual el índice también será un número borroso triangular (NBT). Para llevar a cabo la clasificación de los planes se aplicarán técnicas de clasificación Fuzzy: utilizaremos el criterio del área del NBT sobre el eje de las ordenadas. Cuanto mayor sea esta área, más alejado estará el NBT del eje de ordenadas, con lo cual, un plan con mayor área será mejor para la empresa Luego se explica brevemente la estructura de cotización utilizada para costear los planes en el orden establecido por el ranking hasta llegar al primer plan factible de acuerdo al precio máximo indicado por la empresa. Así quedará determinado el plan óptimo. La cotización se basa en la distribución etárea del grupo costeado, en la información estadística sobre utilización con la que cuenta la compañía de medicina prepaga, y en el costo esperado de los servicios para el período costeado. Finalmente, se extraen conclusiones acerca del plan óptimo elegido en el caso particular tratado, analizando las características de dicho plan en comparación con las preferencias y prioridades de la empresa, y en general acerca del modelo aplicado, detallando sus ventajas y los aspectos a mejorar.Salud – Clasificación Fuzzy – Distancia Fuzzy Health – Fuzzy Classification – Fuzzy Distance

Notes on the Estimation of Information Measures

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryContract DA-36-039-SC-5669

Taste fiber responses during reinnervation of fungiform papillae

Crushing or transecting the chorda tympani nerve of the gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus ) caused ipsilateral degeneration of taste buds in the fungiform papillae. In less than two weeks some taste fibers regenerated into the tongue and formed new taste buds and receptor cells. The recovery process was evaluated electrophysiologically in 53 gerbils by acute recording proximal to the nerve injury site. Initially the chorda tympani was electrically silent. In gerbils tested at later times spontaneous activity appeared. This was followed by responses to pressure on the tongue. Taste responses returned as early as dasy 11. The receptive field of regenerated taste fibers was limited to a small number of fungiform papillae. Taste responses were always associasted with the presence of one or more taste buds in the receptive field. Taste buds identified as responsive to chemicals contained some fusiform cells. We found thast the taste responses of single fiber, few-fiber and multi-unit preparations reflected the diversity of responses found in normal taste axons as determined by recording from 26 normal single fibers and 27 normal whole nerves. The early emergence of a variety of fiber types and responses to many chemicals in regeneration is inconsistent with the proposition that the relative chemical responsiveness of a receptor cell is strictly a function of its age; the response of a given young taste receptor is not necessarily limited to a few of the standard taste stimulants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49998/1/901720406_ftp.pd

Approximate Distributions of Sample Information for Use in Estimating True Information by Confidence Intervals

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryContract DA-36-039-SC-5669

ELECCIÓN DE PLANES DE SALUD MEDIANTE TÉCNICAS DE CLASIFICACIÓN FUZZY

En el presente trabajo se expone un modelo de decisión basado en técnicas fuzzy que permite determinar cuál es el mejor plan de salud según las prioridades de la empresa y el costo máximo que está dispuesta a asumir. La empresa plantea requisitos de cobertura con ciertas prioridades. Estos requisitos de cobertura abarcan la cartilla (prestadores incluidos y calidad de sanatorios, tipo de habitación) y copagos y coseguros (importes fijos o porcentajes del costo a cargo de los empleados). Palabras clave: salud, clasificación borrosa, distancia borrosa Abstract This paper exposes a decision model, based on fuzzy methodology that allows determinate which is the best health plan according to the firm priorities and the maximum cost that it is disposed to assumed. The firm establishes coverage requirements with certain priorities. These coverage requirements embrace the card (roomtype, clinic quality, lenders included) and the pre – paid insurance and direct payments by employees. Keywords: Health, Fuzzy classification, Fuzzy distance