Double Fits Research Articles

Cost-Effectiveness between Double and Single Fecal Immunochemical Test(s) in a Mass Colorectal Cancer Screening.

This study investigated the cost-effectiveness between double and single Fecal Immunochemical Test(s) (FIT) in a mass CRC screening. A two-stage sequential screening was conducted. FIT was used as a primary screening test and recommended twice by an interval of one week at the first screening stage. We defined the first-time FIT as FIT1 and the second-time FIT as FIT2. If either FIT1 or FIT2 was positive (+), then a colonoscopy was recommended at the second stage. Costs were recorded and analyzed. A total of 24,419 participants completed either FIT1 or FIT2. The detection rate of advanced neoplasm was 19.2% among both FIT1+ and FIT2+, especially high among men with age ≥55 (27.4%). About 15.4% CRC, 18.9% advanced neoplasm, and 29.9% adenoma missed by FIT1 were detected by FIT2 alone. Average cost was $2,935 for double FITs and $2,121 for FIT1 to detect each CRC and $901 for double FITs and $680 for FIT1 to detect each advanced neoplasm. Double FITs are overall more cost-effective, having significantly higher positive and detection rates with an acceptable higher cost, than single FIT. Double FITs should be encouraged for the first screening in a mass CRC screening, especially in economically and medically underserved populations/areas/countries.

WHAT DO SPECTRAL LINE PROFILE ASYMMETRIES TELL US ABOUT THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE?

Recently, analysis of solar spectra obtained with the EUV Imaging Spectrograph (EIS) onboard the Hinode satellite has revealed the ubiquitous presence of asymmetries in transition region (TR) and coronal spectral line profiles. These asymmetries have been observed especially at the footpoints of coronal loops and have been associated with strong upflows that may play a significant role in providing the corona with hot plasma. Here, we perform a detailed study of the various processes that can lead to spectral line asymmetries, using both simple forward models and state-of-the-art three-dimensional radiative MHD simulations of the solar atmosphere using the Bifrost code. We describe a novel technique to determine the presence and properties of faint secondary components in the wings of spectral line profiles. This method is based on least-squares fitting of observed so-called R(ed)B(lue) asymmetry profiles with pre-calculated RB asymmetry profiles for a wide variety of secondary component properties. We illustrate how this method could be used to perform reliable double Gaussian fits that are not over- or under-constrained. We also find that spectral line asymmetries appear in TR and coronal lines that are synthesized from our three-dimensional MHD simulations. Our models show that the spectral asymmetries are a sensitive measure of the velocity gradient with height in the TR of coronal loops. The modeled TR shows a large gradient of velocity that increases with height: this occurs as a consequence of ubiquitous, episodic heating at low heights in the model atmosphere. We show that the contribution function of spectral lines as a function of temperature is critical for sensitivity to velocity gradients and thus line asymmetries: lines that are formed over a temperature range that includes most of the TR are the most sensitive. As a result, lines from lithium-like ions (e.g., O VI) are found to be the most sensitive to line asymmetries. We compare the simulated line profiles directly with line profiles observed in the quiet Sun with SOHO/SUMER and Hinode/EIS and find that the shape of the profiles is very similar. In addition, the simulated profiles with the strongest blueward asymmetry occur in footpoint regions of coronal loops, which is similar to what we observe with SUMER and EIS. There is however a significant discrepancy between the simulations and observations: the simulated RB asymmetries are an order of magnitude smaller than the observations. We discuss the possible reasons for this discrepancy. In summary, our analysis shows that observations of spectral line asymmetries can provide a powerful new diagnostic to help constrain coronal heating models.

Evidence for two hard X-ray components in double power-law FITS to the 1980 June 7 flare

The June 7, 1980 flare at 0312 UT was analyzed with double power-law fits on the basis of SMM hard X-ray burst spectrometer data. The flare is found to consist of seven peaks of characteristic time scale of about 8 sec followed by seven valleys which may contain significant peak components because of overlap. It is suggested that the possibility of thermal spectra for the peaks is unlikely. An investigation of the double power-law parameters through the third and fourth peaks revealed a hysteresis effect in the fourth peak. The present results have been interpreted in terms of a trap plus precipitation model.