Remote sensing of PBL meteorology and air quality: the outcome of the ESCOMPTE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobinski, P.

2008-05-01

In the French Mediterranean basin, the large city of Marseille and its industrialized suburbs (oil plants in the Fos-Berre area) are major pollutant sources which cause frequent and hazardous pollution episodes especially in summer when intense solar heating enhances the photochemical activity and when sea-breeze circulation redistributes pollutants further north in the countryside. This paper summarizes the findings of five years of research on the sea-breeze in southeastern France and related mesoscale transport and dilution of pollutants within the ESCOMPTE program held in June and July 2001 (field experiment to constraint models of atmospheric pollution and emissions transport), obtained thanks to a composite observing system and a combination of remote sensing and in situ systems which produced a wealth of data. Indeed, the combination of established and novel and highly sophisticated remote sensing instruments with conventional in situ measurements (dense surface network and radiosondes) allowed to capture previously unseen details of the fine structure of the sea breeze, allowed unprecedented insight into the structure of the sea breeze flow and its contribution to ozone redistribution and allowed the validation of ultrahigh-resolution numerical research and weather prediction models as well as chemistry transport models.

Comparing trends in cancer rates across overlapping regions.

PubMed

Li, Yi; Tiwari, Ram C

2008-12-01

Monitoring and comparing trends in cancer rates across geographic regions or over different time periods have been major tasks of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program as it profiles healthcare quality as well as decides healthcare resource allocations within a spatial-temporal framework. A fundamental difficulty, however, arises when such comparisons have to be made for regions or time intervals that overlap, for example, comparing the change in trends of mortality rates in a local area (e.g., the mortality rate of breast cancer in California) with a more global level (i.e., the national mortality rate of breast cancer). In view of sparsity of available methodologies, this article develops a simple corrected Z-test that accounts for such overlapping. The performance of the proposed test over the two-sample "pooled"t-test that assumes independence across comparison groups is assessed via the Pitman asymptotic relative efficiency as well as Monte Carlo simulations and applications to the SEER cancer data. The proposed test will be important for the SEER * STAT software, maintained by the NCI, for the analysis of the SEER data.

Spatial-temporal Detection of Sea-breeze Penetration Over Megacities from Himawari-8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferdiansyah, M. R.; Inagaki, A.; Kanda, M.

2017-12-01

For a coastal urban region, sea breeze is very important for air ventilation and cooling. However, most of sea-breeze monitoring is lacking and inadequate temporally and spatially. Japanese new geostationary meteorological satellite (Himawari-8) has been launched which can provide high resolution satellite imagery. This enables better monitoring of mesoscale weather phenomena such as sea breeze. In this study, we first attempt the feasibility of acquiring temporal-spatial information of sea breeze in a coastal urban region using Himawari-8. For study area, Tokyo (Japan) and Jakarta (Indonesia) area were selected as representative coastal urban regions; both cities located in very distant latitudes. Sea breeze events (Tokyo:16 cases and Jakarta:17 cases) in JAS season of 2015 and 2016 were analyzed. Convergence zones of two sea-breeze systems and delayed sea-breeze penetration were found for both Tokyo and Jakarta. Estimation of inland penetration speed and convergence area for sea breeze event, accompanied by the formation of non-precipitating cumulus type cloudline, is the primary objective. From the visible band image of Himawari-8, cumulus cloudline for each sea breeze event was extracted. The inland penetration speed was then estimated automatically from temporal evolution of these cloudlines. For the case of Tokyo, it was found that the sea breeze from Tokyo Bay had slower penetration speed than another sea breeze (Sagami Bay) coming from a less urbanized area. The average penetration speed of sea-breeze front was estimated to be 3.6 m/s and 1.3 m/s for sea breeze from Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay, respectively. The penetration differences (from Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay) could be attributed to the difference in urbanization levels between the coastal areas of Sagami and Tokyo Bay. For the case of Jakarta, the convergence of two sea-breeze systems were found persistent slightly east from the center of Jakarta. Interestingly, the sea-breeze delay was more pronounced in Serpong area, a rapidly growing urban area occupying the western region of Jakarta. On-going work is being conducted to expand the number of coastal cities for analyses.Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (S-14) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

SEER Linked Databases - SEER Datasets

Cancer.gov

SEER-Medicare database of elderly persons with cancer is useful for epidemiologic and health services research. SEER-MHOS has health-related quality of life information about elderly persons with cancer. SEER-CAHPS database has clinical, survey, and health services information on people with cancer.

Interaction of the sea breeze with a river breeze in an area of complex coastal heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhong, Shiyuan; Takle, Eugene S.; Leone, John M., Jr.

1991-01-01

The interaction of the sea-breeze circulation with a river-breeze circulation in an area of complex coastal heating (east coast of Florida) was studied using a 3D finite-element mesoscale model. The model simulations are compared with temperature and wind fields observed on a typical fall day during the Kennedy Space Center Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment. The results from numerical experiments designed to isolate the effect of the river breeze indicate that the convergence in the sea-breeze front is suppressed when it passes over the cooler surface of the rivers.

Land-Breeze Forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Wheeler, Mark M.; Merceret, Francis J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The nocturnal land breeze at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) is both operationally significant and challenging to forecast. The occurrence and timing of land breezes impact low-level winds, atmospheric stability, low temperatures, and fog development. Accurate predictions of the land breeze are critical for toxic material dispersion forecasts associated with space launch missions, since wind direction and low-level stability can change noticeably with the onset of a land breeze. This report presents a seven-year observational study of land breezes over east-central Florida from 1995 to 2001. This comprehensive analysis was enabled by the high-resolution tower observations over KSC/CCAFS. Five-minute observations of winds, temperature, and moisture along with 9 15-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler data were used to analyze specific land-breeze cases, while the tower data were used to construct a composite climatology. Utilities derived from this climatology were developed to assist forecasters in determining the land-breeze occurrence, timing, and movement based on predicted meteorological conditions.

Modelling Local Sea-Breeze Flow and Associated Dispersion Patterns Over a Coastal Area in North-East Spain: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soler, M. R.; Arasa, R.; Merino, M.; Olid, M.; Ortega, S.

2011-07-01

The structure and evolution of the sea breeze in the north-west part of the Mediterranean (Catalonia, north-east Spain) is studied both experimentally and, predominantly, using numerical models to increase understanding of sea-breeze structure and three-dimensional (3D) pollution distributions in coastal environments. Sea-breeze components are modelled and analyzed using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University-National Centre for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). The results show that the growth and structure of the sea-breeze circulation is modulated by the synoptic flow and especially by the complex topography of the area. 3D pollution transport in a sea breeze is modelled by coupling the MM5 to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, with results indicating that topography and synoptic flow are the main factors modulating horizontal and vertical pollutant transport in sea-breeze episodes. In this way, horizontal dispersion is limited by the complex topography of the area, whilst the sea-breeze flow is intensified by anabatic upslope winds that contribute to vertical pollutant transport. The numerical model results also indicate that the sea-breeze circulation with a weak return flow at upper levels grows due to a synoptic onshore wind component. However, such a sea-breeze circulation is capable of transporting pollutants towards the coast.

Nearshore Coastal Dynamics on a Sea-Breeze Dominated Micro-Tidal Beach (NCSAL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Puleo, J. A.; Ruiz de Alegría-Arzaburu, A.; Figlus, J.; Mendoza, T.; Pintado-Patino, J. C.; Pieterse, A.; Chardon-Maldonado, P.; DiCosmo, N. R.; Wellman, N.; Garcia-Nava, H.; Palemón-Arcos, L.; Roberts, T.; López-González, J.; Bravo, M.; Ojeda, E.; Medellín, G.; Appendini, C. M.; Figueroa, B.; González-Leija, M.; Enriquez, C.; Pedrozo-Acuña, A.; Salles, P.

2014-12-01

A comprehensive field experiment devoted to the study of coastal processes on a micro-tidal beach was conducted from March 30th to April 12th 2014 in Sisal, Yucatán México. Wave conditions in the study area are controlled by local (i.e., sea-breezes) and meso-scale (i.e., Nortes) meteorological events. Simultaneous measurements of waves, tides, winds, currents, sediment transport, runup, and beach morphology were obtained in this experiment. Very dense nearshore instrumentation arrays allow us the study of the cross-/along- shore variability of surf/swash zone dynamics during different forcing conditions. Strong sea-breeze wind events produced a diurnal cycle with a maximum wind speed of 14 m/s. The persistent sea-breeze system forces small-amplitude (Hs<1 m) short-period (Tp<4 s) NE waves approaching with a high incidence wave angle. These wave conditions drive westward alongshore currents of up to 0.6 m/s in the inner surf zone and hence produce an active sediment transport in the swash zone. On the other hand, the more energetic (Hs>1 m) Norte event, lasting 48 hours, reached the coast on April 8th generating a long-period swell (Tp>10 s) arriving from the NNW. This event induced an eastward net sediment transport across a wide surf zone. However, long-term observations of sand impoundment at a groin located near the study area suggests that the net sediment transport in the northern Yucatan peninsula is controlled by sea-breeze events and hence swash zone dynamics play an important role in the net sediment budget of this region. A comparative study of surf and swash zone dynamics during both sea-breeze and Norte events will be presented. The Institute of Engineering of UNAM, throughout an International Collaborative Project with the University of Delaware, and CONACYT (CB-167692) provided financial support. The first author acknowledges ONR Global for providing financial support throughout the Visiting Scientist Program.

Validation of prostate-specific antigen laboratory values recorded in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries.

PubMed

Adamo, Margaret Peggy; Boten, Jessica A; Coyle, Linda M; Cronin, Kathleen A; Lam, Clara J K; Negoita, Serban; Penberthy, Lynne; Stevens, Jennifer L; Ward, Kevin C

2017-02-15

Researchers have used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values collected by central cancer registries to evaluate tumors for potential aggressive clinical disease. An independent study collecting PSA values suggested a high error rate (18%) related to implied decimal points. To evaluate the error rate in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, a comprehensive review of PSA values recorded across all SEER registries was performed. Consolidated PSA values for eligible prostate cancer cases in SEER registries were reviewed and compared with text documentation from abstracted records. Four types of classification errors were identified: implied decimal point errors, abstraction or coding implementation errors, nonsignificant errors, and changes related to "unknown" values. A total of 50,277 prostate cancer cases diagnosed in 2012 were reviewed. Approximately 94.15% of cases did not have meaningful changes (85.85% correct, 5.58% with a nonsignificant change of <1 ng/mL, and 2.80% with no clinical change). Approximately 5.70% of cases had meaningful changes (1.93% due to implied decimal point errors, 1.54% due to abstract or coding errors, and 2.23% due to errors related to unknown categories). Only 419 of the original 50,277 cases (0.83%) resulted in a change in disease stage due to a corrected PSA value. The implied decimal error rate was only 1.93% of all cases in the current validation study, with a meaningful error rate of 5.81%. The reasons for the lower error rate in SEER are likely due to ongoing and rigorous quality control and visual editing processes by the central registries. The SEER program currently is reviewing and correcting PSA values back to 2004 and will re-release these data in the public use research file. Cancer 2017;123:697-703. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society.

Genesis Radiation Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Altstatt, Richard L.; Skipworth, William C.

2007-01-01

The Genesis spacecraft launched on 8 August 2001 sampled solar wind environments at L1 from 2001 to 2004. After the Science Capsule door was opened, numerous foils and samples were exposed to the various solar wind environments during periods including slow solar wind from the streamer belts, fast solar wind flows from coronal holes, and coronal mass ejections. The Survey and Examination of Eroded Returned Surfaces (SEERS) program led by NASA's Space Environments and Effects program had initiated access for the space materials community to the remaining Science Capsule hardware after the science samples had been removed for evaluation of materials exposure to the space environment. This presentation will describe the process used to generate a reference radiation Genesis Radiation Environment developed for the SEERS program for use by the materials science community in their analyses of the Genesis hardware.

SEER*Educate: Use of Abstracting Quality Index Scores to Monitor Improvement of All Employees.

PubMed

Potts, Mary S; Scott, Tim; Hafterson, Jennifer L

2016-01-01

Integral parts of the Seattle-Puget Sound's Cancer Surveillance System registry's continuous improvement model include the incorporation of SEER*Educate into its training program for all staff and analyzing assessment results using the Abstracting Quality Index (AQI). The AQI offers a comprehensive measure of overall performance in SEER*Educate, which is a Web-based application used to personalize learning and diagnostically pinpoint each staff member's place on the AQI continuum. The assessment results are tallied from 6 abstracting standards within 2 domains: incidence reporting and coding accuracy. More than 100 data items are aligned to 1 or more of the 6 standards to build an aggregated score that is placed on a continuum for continuous improvement. The AQI score accurately identifies those individuals who have a good understanding of how to apply the 6 abstracting standards to reliably generate high quality abstracts.

Morning transition case between the land and the sea breeze regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Maria A.; Simó, Gemma; Wrenger, Burkhard; Telisman-Prtenjak, Maja; Guijarro, Jose A.; Cuxart, Joan

2016-05-01

An experimental field campaign took place in September 2013 near the coastline in the southeastern Campos basin in the island of Mallorca to characterize experimentally the transition between the sea and the land breezes and to further study the successful cases with the corresponding high-resolution numerical simulations. Favorable weather conditions were only found for one episode that comprised a well-formed nocturnal land breeze, followed by the morning transition to sea breeze until noon the next day, when incoming clouds switched off the breeze regime. To analyse this transition between land and sea breezes, the official network of stations is used, supplemented by a portable station close to the shore and soundings of temperature (taken by a captive balloon and remotely controlled multicopter). These data are used to check the goodness of the corresponding simulation at a horizontal resolution of 1 km. Model and observations see similarly both regimes and the transition, showing some differences in the timing and the details in the surface layer. This transient event is analyzed in terms of phases, going consecutively through land breeze, phase previous to the sea breeze, when land heating starts, but it is still colder than the sea, the preparatory phase when the land becomes warmer than the sea, and the development phase when the breeze front progresses inland.

The effect of multiple primary rules on population-based cancer survival

PubMed Central

Weir, Hannah K.; Johnson, Christopher J.; Thompson, Trevor D.

2015-01-01

Purpose Different rules for registering multiple primary (MP) cancers are used by cancer registries throughout the world, making international data comparisons difficult. This study evaluates the effect of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) MP rules on population-based cancer survival estimates. Methods Data from five US states and six metropolitan area cancer registries participating in the SEER Program were used to estimate age-standardized relative survival (RS%) for first cancers-only and all first cancers matching the selection criteria according to SEER and IACR MP rules for all cancer sites combined and for the top 25 cancer site groups among men and women. Results During 1995–2008, the percentage of MP cancers (all sites, both sexes) increased 25.4 % by using SEER rules (from 14.6 to 18.4 %) and 20.1 % by using IACR rules (from 13.2 to 15.8 %). More MP cancers were registered among females than among males, and SEER rules registered more MP cancers than IACR rules (15.8 vs. 14.4 % among males; 17.2 vs. 14.5 % among females). The top 3 cancer sites with the largest differences were melanoma (5.8 %), urinary bladder (3.5 %), and kidney and renal pelvis (2.9 %) among males, and breast (5.9 %), melanoma (3.9 %), and urinary bladder (3.4 %) among females. Five-year survival estimates (all sites combined) restricted to first primary cancers-only were higher than estimates by using first site-specific primaries (SEER or IACR rules), and for 11 of 21 sites among males and 11 of 23 sites among females. SEER estimates are comparable to IACR estimates for all site-specific cancers and marginally higher for all sites combined among females (RS 62.28 vs. 61.96 %). Conclusion Survival after diagnosis has improved for many leading cancers. However, cancer patients remain at risk of subsequent cancers. Survival estimates based on first cancers-only exclude a large and increasing number of MP cancers. To produce clinically and epidemiologically relevant and less biased cancer survival estimates, data on all cancers should be included in the analysis. The multiple primary rules (SEER or IACR) used to identify primary cancers do not affect survival estimates if all first cancers matching the selection criteria are used to produce site-specific survival estimates. PMID:23558444

Impact of the Rhône and Durance valleys on sea-breeze circulation in the Marseille area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastin, Sophie; Drobinski, Philippe; Dabas, Alain; Delville, Patricia; Reitebuch, Oliver; Werner, Christian

2005-03-01

Sea-breeze dynamics in the Marseille area, in the south of France, is investigated in the framework of the ESCOMPTE experiment conducted during summer 2001 in order to evaluate the role of thermal circulations on pollutant transport and ventilation. Under particular attention in this paper is the sea-breeze channelling by the broad Rhône valley and the narrow Durance valley, both oriented nearly-north-south, i.e., perpendicular to the coastline, and its possible impact on the sea-breeze penetration, intensity and depth, which are key information for air pollution issues. One situation of slight synoptic pressure gradient leading to a northerly flow in the Rhône valley (25 June 2001) and one situation of a weak onshore prevailing synoptic wind (26 June 2001) are compared. The impact of the Rhône and Durance valleys on the sea-breeze dynamics on these two typical days is generalized to the whole ESCOMPTE observing period. The present study shows by combining simple scaling analysis with wind data from meteorological surface stations and Doppler lidars that (i) the Durance valley always affects the sea breeze by accelerating the flow. A consequence is that the Durance valley contributes to weaken the temperature gradient along the valley and thus the sea-breeze circulation. In some cases, the acceleration of the channelled flow in the Durance valley suppresses the sea-breeze flow by temperature gradient inhibition; (ii) the Rhône valley does not generally affect the sea breeze significantly. However, if the sea breeze is combined with an onshore flow, it leads to further penetration inland and intensification of the low-level southerly flow. In this situation, lateral constriction may accelerate the sea breeze. Simple scaling analysis suggests that Saint Paul (44.35°N, about 100 km from the coastline) is the lower limit where sea breeze can be affected by the Rhône valley. These conclusions have implications in air quality topics as channelled sea breeze may advect far inland pollutants which may be incorporated into long-range transport, particularly in the Durance valley.

HABSOS INTEGRATED CASE STUDY FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO

EPA Science Inventory

This project is part of a Harmful Algal Bloom Observing System Pilot Project for which the Gulf of Mexico Program is the coordinator. The Program office along with the EPA Gulf Breeze Laboratory will be working with the NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center, the National...

Thyroid cancer incidence patterns in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the U.S. SEER program, 1997-2008.

PubMed

Veiga, Lene H S; Neta, Gila; Aschebrook-Kilfoy, Briseis; Ron, Elaine; Devesa, Susan S

2013-06-01

Thyroid cancer incidence has risen steadily over the last few decades in most of the developed world, but information on incidence trends in developing countries is limited. Sao Paulo, Brazil, has one of the highest rates of thyroid cancer worldwide, higher than in the United States. We examined thyroid cancer incidence patterns using data from the Sao Paulo Cancer Registry (SPCR) in Brazil and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) program in the United States. Data on thyroid cancer cases diagnosed during 1997-2008 were obtained from SPCR (n=15,892) and SEER (n=42,717). Age-adjusted and age-specific rates were calculated by sex and histology and temporal patterns were compared between the two populations. Overall incidence rates increased over time in both populations and were higher in Sao Paulo than in the United States among females (SPCR/SEER incidence rate ratio [IRR]=1.65) and males (IRR=1.23). Papillary was the most common histology in both populations, followed by follicular and medullary carcinomas. Incidence rates by histology were consistently higher in Sao Paulo than in the United States, with the greatest differences for follicular (IRR=2.44) and medullary (IRR=3.29) carcinomas among females. The overall female/male IRR was higher in Sao Paulo (IRR=4.17) than in SEER (IRR=3.10) and did not change over time. Papillary rates rose over time more rapidly in Sao Paulo (annual percentage change=10.3% among females and 9.6% among males) than in the United States (6.9% and 5.7%, respectively). Regardless of sex, rates rose faster among younger people (<50 years) in Sao Paulo, but among older people (≥50 years) in the United States. The papillary to follicular carcinoma ratio rose from <3 to >8 among both Sao Paulo males and females, in contrast to increases from 9 to 12 and from 6 to 7 among U.S.males and females, respectively. Increased diagnostic activity may be contributing to the notable rise in incidence, mainly for papillary type, in both populations, but it is not likely to be the only reason. Differences in iodine nutrition status between Sao Paulo and the U.S. SEER population might have affected the observed incidence patterns.

Thyroid Cancer Incidence Patterns in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the U.S. SEER Program, 1997–2008

PubMed Central

Neta, Gila; Aschebrook-Kilfoy, Briseis; Ron, Elaine; Devesa, Susan S.

2013-01-01

Background Thyroid cancer incidence has risen steadily over the last few decades in most of the developed world, but information on incidence trends in developing countries is limited. Sao Paulo, Brazil, has one of the highest rates of thyroid cancer worldwide, higher than in the United States. We examined thyroid cancer incidence patterns using data from the Sao Paulo Cancer Registry (SPCR) in Brazil and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) program in the United States. Methods Data on thyroid cancer cases diagnosed during 1997–2008 were obtained from SPCR (n=15,892) and SEER (n=42,717). Age-adjusted and age-specific rates were calculated by sex and histology and temporal patterns were compared between the two populations. Results Overall incidence rates increased over time in both populations and were higher in Sao Paulo than in the United States among females (SPCR/SEER incidence rate ratio [IRR]=1.65) and males (IRR=1.23). Papillary was the most common histology in both populations, followed by follicular and medullary carcinomas. Incidence rates by histology were consistently higher in Sao Paulo than in the United States, with the greatest differences for follicular (IRR=2.44) and medullary (IRR=3.29) carcinomas among females. The overall female/male IRR was higher in Sao Paulo (IRR=4.17) than in SEER (IRR=3.10) and did not change over time. Papillary rates rose over time more rapidly in Sao Paulo (annual percentage change=10.3% among females and 9.6% among males) than in the United States (6.9% and 5.7%, respectively). Regardless of sex, rates rose faster among younger people (<50 years) in Sao Paulo, but among older people (≥50 years) in the United States. The papillary to follicular carcinoma ratio rose from <3 to >8 among both Sao Paulo males and females, in contrast to increases from 9 to 12 and from 6 to 7 among U.S.males and females, respectively. Conclusions Increased diagnostic activity may be contributing to the notable rise in incidence, mainly for papillary type, in both populations, but it is not likely to be the only reason. Differences in iodine nutrition status between Sao Paulo and the U.S. SEER population might have affected the observed incidence patterns. PMID:23410185

SEER Bibliography

Cancer.gov

Search this database of articles and other publications produced by cancer registry staff and Surveillance Research Program staff. Search by author, title, date, and organization. Provides links to PubMed and abstracts.

SEER*Stat Software

Cancer.gov

If you have access to SEER Research Data, use SEER*Stat to analyze SEER and other cancer-related databases. View individual records and produce statistics including incidence, mortality, survival, prevalence, and multiple primary. Tutorials and related analytic software tools are available.

Meteorological and Land Surface Properties Impacting Sea Breeze Extent and Aerosol Distribution in a Dry Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igel, Adele L.; van den Heever, Susan C.; Johnson, Jill S.

2018-01-01

The properties of sea breeze circulations are influenced by a variety of meteorological and geophysical factors that interact with one another. These circulations can redistribute aerosol particles and pollution and therefore can play an important role in local air quality, as well as impact remote sensing. In this study, we select 11 factors that have the potential to impact either the sea breeze circulation properties and/or the spatial distribution of aerosols. Simulations are run to identify which of the 11 factors have the largest influence on the sea breeze properties and aerosol concentrations and to subsequently understand the mean response of these variables to the selected factors. All simulations are designed to be representative of conditions in coastal sub tropical environments and are thus relatively dry, as such they do not support deep convection associated with the sea breeze front. For this dry sea breeze regime, we find that the background wind speed was the most influential factor for the sea breeze propagation, with the soil saturation fraction also being important. For the spatial aerosol distribution, the most important factors were the soil moisture, sea-air temperature difference, and the initial boundary layer height. The importance of these factors seems to be strongly tied to the development of the surface-based mixed layer both ahead of and behind the sea breeze front. This study highlights potential avenues for further research regarding sea breeze dynamics and the impact of sea breeze circulations on pollution dispersion and remote sensing algorithms.

Prognostic factors for survival in patients with Ewing's sarcoma using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program database.

PubMed

Duchman, Kyle R; Gao, Yubo; Miller, Benjamin J

2015-04-01

The current study aims to determine cause-specific survival in patients with Ewing's sarcoma while reporting clinical risk factors for survival. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database was used to identify patients with osseous Ewing's sarcoma from 1991 to 2010. Patient, tumor, and socioeconomic variables were analyzed to determine prognostic factors for survival. There were 1163 patients with Ewing's sarcoma identified in the SEER Program database. The 10-year cause-specific survival for patients with non-metastatic disease at diagnosis was 66.8% and 28.1% for patients with metastatic disease. Black patients demonstrated reduced survival at 10 years with an increased frequency of metastatic disease at diagnosis as compared to patients of other race, while Hispanic patients more frequently presented with tumor size>10cm. Univariate analysis revealed that metastatic disease at presentation, tumor size>10cm, axial tumor location, patient age≥20 years, black race, and male sex were associated with decreased cause-specific survival at 10 years. Metastatic disease at presentation, axial tumor location, tumor size>10cm, and age≥20 years remained significant in the multivariate analysis. Patients with Ewing's sarcoma have decreased cause-specific survival at 10 years when metastatic at presentation, axial tumor location, tumor size>10cm, and patient age≥20 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of Offshore Surface Fluxes and Sea Breezes to the Spatial Distribution of Sea-Surface Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardo, Kelly; Sinsky, Eric; Edson, James; Whitney, Michael M.; Jia, Yan

2018-03-01

A series of numerical sensitivity experiments is performed to quantify the impact of sea-surface temperature (SST) distribution on offshore surface fluxes and simulated sea-breeze dynamics. The SST simulations of two mid-latitude sea-breeze events over coastal New England are performed using a spatially-uniform SST, as well as spatially-varying SST datasets of 32- and 1-km horizontal resolutions. Offshore surface heat and buoyancy fluxes vary in response to the SST distribution. Local sea-breeze circulations are relatively insensitive, with minimal differences in vertical structure and propagation speed among the experiments. The largest thermal perturbations are confined to the lowest 10% of the sea-breeze column due to the relatively high stability of the mid-Atlantic marine atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) suppressing vertical mixing, resulting in the depth of the marine layer remaining unchanged. Minimal impacts on the column-averaged virtual potential temperature and sea-breeze depth translates to small changes in sea-breeze propagation speed. This indicates that the use of datasets with a fine-scale SST may not produce more accurate sea-breeze simulations in highly stable marine ABL regimes, though may prove more beneficial in less stable sub-tropical environments.

A case study of sea breeze circulation at Thumba Coast through observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunhikrishnan, P. K.; Ramachandran, Radhika; Alappattu, Denny P.; Kiran Kumar, N. V. P.; Balasubrahamanyam, D.

2006-12-01

A case study of sea breeze circulation at a coastal region Thumba (8.5°N, 76.9°E) was carried out using Doppler Sodar, surface wind, temperature, humidity measurements and radiosonde ascents. The analysis of surface meteorological data showed that the onset of sea breeze on 12th April 2006 was at 0945 hrs. GPS sonde observation over sea at 1425 hrs and Radiosonde observation over land at 1730 showed a well developed sea breeze circulation over Thumba coast by afternoon hours. The vertical extent of sea breeze circulation was ~1000m over sea as well as on land. The Thermal Internal Boundary Layer (TIBL) depth associated with sea breeze circulation was about 400m at 8 km away from coast. The marine mixed layer height was ~500m about 12 km away from the coast. Numerical simulation of sea breeze was made using HRM (High Resolution Model) and compared the results with the observations.

A New Objective Technique for Verifying Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Manobianco, John; Lane, John E.; Immer, Christopher D.

2003-01-01

This report presents a new objective technique to verify predictions of the sea-breeze phenomenon over east-central Florida by the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The Contour Error Map (CEM) technique identifies sea-breeze transition times in objectively-analyzed grids of observed and forecast wind, verifies the forecast sea-breeze transition times against the observed times, and computes the mean post-sea breeze wind direction and speed to compare the observed and forecast winds behind the sea-breeze front. The CEM technique is superior to traditional objective verification techniques and previously-used subjective verification methodologies because: It is automated, requiring little manual intervention, It accounts for both spatial and temporal scales and variations, It accurately identifies and verifies the sea-breeze transition times, and It provides verification contour maps and simple statistical parameters for easy interpretation. The CEM uses a parallel lowpass boxcar filter and a high-order bandpass filter to identify the sea-breeze transition times in the observed and model grid points. Once the transition times are identified, CEM fits a Gaussian histogram function to the actual histogram of transition time differences between the model and observations. The fitted parameters of the Gaussian function subsequently explain the timing bias and variance of the timing differences across the valid comparison domain. Once the transition times are all identified at each grid point, the CEM computes the mean wind direction and speed during the remainder of the day for all times and grid points after the sea-breeze transition time. The CEM technique performed quite well when compared to independent meteorological assessments of the sea-breeze transition times and results from a previously published subjective evaluation. The algorithm correctly identified a forecast or observed sea-breeze occurrence or absence 93% of the time during the two- month evaluation period from July and August 2000. Nearly all failures in CEM were the result of complex precipitation features (observed or forecast) that contaminated the wind field, resulting in a false identification of a sea-breeze transition. A qualitative comparison between the CEM timing errors and the subjectively determined observed and forecast transition times indicate that the algorithm performed very well overall. Most discrepancies between the CEM results and the subjective analysis were again caused by observed or forecast areas of precipitation that led to complex wind patterns. The CEM also failed on a day when the observed sea- breeze transition affected only a very small portion of the verification domain. Based on the results of CEM, the RAMS tended to predict the onset and movement of the sea-breeze transition too early and/or quickly. The domain-wide timing biases provided by CEM indicated an early bias on 30 out of 37 days when both an observed and forecast sea breeze occurred over the same portions of the analysis domain. These results are consistent with previous subjective verifications of the RAMS sea breeze predictions. A comparison of the mean post-sea breeze winds indicate that RAMS has a positive wind-speed bias for .all days, which is also consistent with the early bias in the sea-breeze transition time since the higher wind speeds resulted in a faster inland penetration of the sea breeze compared to reality.

The effect of multiple primary rules on cancer incidence rates and trends

PubMed Central

Weir, Hannah K.; Johnson, Christopher J.; Ward, Kevin C.; Coleman, Michel P.

2018-01-01

Purpose An examination of multiple primary cancers can provide insight into the etiologic role of genes, the environment, and prior cancer treatment on a cancer patient’s risk of developing a subsequent cancer. Different rules for registering multiple primary cancers (MP) are used by cancer registries throughout the world making data comparisons difficult. Methods We evaluated the effect of SEER and IARC/IACR rules on cancer incidence rates and trends using data from the SEER Program. We estimated age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and trends (1975–2011) for the top 26 cancer categories using joinpoint regression analysis. Results ASIRs were higher using SEER compared to IARC/IACR rules for all cancers combined (3 %) and, in rank order, melanoma (9 %), female breast (7 %), urinary bladder (6 %), colon (4 %), kidney and renal pelvis (4 %), oral cavity and pharynx (3 %), lung and bronchus (2 %), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2 %). ASIR differences were largest for patients aged 65+ years. Trends were similar using both MP rules with the exception of cancers of the urinary bladder, and kidney and renal pelvis. Conclusions The choice of multiple primary coding rules effects incidence rates and trends. Compared to SEER MP coding rules, IARC/IACR rules are less complex, have not changed over time, and report fewer multiple primary cancers, particularly cancers that occur in paired organs, at the same anatomic site and with the same or related histologic type. Cancer registries collecting incidence data using SEER rules may want to consider including incidence rates and trends using IARC/IACR rules to facilitate international data comparisons. PMID:26809509

Idealized WRF model sensitivity simulations of sea breeze types and their effects on offshore windfields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, C. J.; Dorling, S. R.; von Glasow, R.; Bacon, J.

2012-06-01

The behaviour and characteristics of the marine component of sea breeze cells have received little attention relative to their onshore counterparts. Yet there is a growing interest and dependence on the offshore wind climate from, for example, a wind energy perspective. Using idealized model experiments, we investigate the sea breeze circulation at scales which approximate to those of the Southern North Sea, a region of major ongoing offshore wind farm development. We also contrast the scales and characteristics of the pure and the little known corkscrew and backdoor sea breeze types, where the type is pre-defined by the orientation of the synoptic scale flow relative to the shoreline. We find, crucially, that pure sea breezes, in contrast to corkscrew and backdoor types, can lead to substantial wind speed reductions offshore and that the addition of a second eastern coastline emphasises this effect through generation of offshore "calm zones". The offshore extent of all sea breeze types is found to be sensitive to both the influence of Coriolis acceleration and to the boundary layer scheme selected. These extents range, for example for a pure sea breeze produced in a 2 m s-1 offshore gradient wind, from 10 km to 40 km between the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino and the Yonsei State University schemes, respectively. The corkscrew type restricts the development of a backdoor sea breeze on the eastern coast and is also capable of traversing a 100 km offshore domain even under high gradient wind speed (>15 m s-1) conditions. Realistic variations in sea surface skin temperature during the sea breeze season do not significantly affect the circulation, suggesting that a thermal contrast is only needed as a precondition to the development of the sea breeze. We highlight how sea breeze impacts on circulation need to be considered in order to improve the accuracy of assessments of the offshore wind energy climate.

Observations of Lake-Breeze Events During the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariani, Zen; Dehghan, Armin; Joe, Paul; Sills, David

2018-01-01

Enhanced meteorological observations were made during the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games in Toronto in order to measure the vertical and horizontal structure of lake-breeze events. Two scanning Doppler lidars (one fixed and one mobile), a C-band radar, and a network including 53 surface meteorological stations (mesonet) provided pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction measurements over Lake Ontario and urban areas. These observations captured the full evolution (prior, during, and after) of 27 lake-breeze events (73% of observation days) in order to characterize the convective and dynamic processes driving lake breezes at the local scale and mesoscale. The dominant signal of a passing lake-breeze front (LBF) was an increase in dew-point temperature of 2.3 ± 0.3°C, coinciding with a 180° shift in wind direction and a decrease in air temperature of 2.1 ± 0.2°C. Doppler lidar observations over the lake detected lake breezes 1 hour (on average) before detection by radar and mesonet. On days with the synoptic flow in the offshore direction, the lidars observed wedge-shaped LBFs with shallow depths, which inhibited the radar's ability to detect the lake breeze. The LBF's ground speed and inland penetration distance were found to be well-correlated (r = 0.78), with larger inland penetration distances occurring on days with non-opposing (non-offshore) synoptic flow. The observed enhanced vertical motion ({>} 1 m s^{-1}) at the LBF, observed by the lidar on 54% of lake-breeze days, was greater (at times {>} 2.5 m s^{-1}) than that observed in previous studies and longer-lasting over the lake than over land. The weaker and less pronounced lake-breeze structure over land is illustrated in two case studies highlighting the lifetime of the lake-breeze circulation and the impact of propagation distance on lake-breeze intensity.

Bay breeze climatology at two sites along the Chesapeake bay from 1986-2010: Implications for surface ozone.

PubMed

Stauffer, Ryan M; Thompson, Anne M

Hourly surface meteorological measurements were coupled with surface ozone (O 3 ) mixing ratio measurements at Hampton, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland, two sites along the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic United States, to examine the behavior of surface O 3 during bay breeze events and quantify the impact of the bay breeze on local O 3 pollution. Analyses were performed for the months of May through September for the years 1986 to 2010. The years were split into three groups to account for increasingly stringent environmental regulations that reduced regional emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ): 1986-1994, 1995-2002, and 2003-2010. Each day in the 25-year record was marked either as a bay breeze day, a non-bay breeze day, or a rainy/cloudy day based on the meteorological data. Mean eight hour (8-h) averaged surface O 3 values during bay breeze events were 3 to 5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) higher at Hampton and Baltimore than on non-bay breeze days in all year periods. Anomalies from mean surface O 3 were highest in the afternoon at both sites during bay breeze days in the 2003-2010 study period. In conjunction with an overall lowering of baseline O 3 after the 1995-2002 period, the percentage of total exceedances of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 75 ppbv 8-h O 3 standard that occurred on bay breeze days increased at Hampton for 2003-2010, while remaining steady at Baltimore. These results suggest that bay breeze circulations are becoming more important to causing exceedance events at particular sites in the region, and support the hypothesis of Martins et al. (2012) that highly localized meteorology increasingly drives air quality events at Hampton.

Composition of individual aerosol particles above the Israelian Mediterranean coast during the summer time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganor, E.; Levin, Z.; Van Grieken, R.

Aerosol particles were collected aboard a ship in Haifa Bay and Tel Aviv, Israel, during the summer time. The aerosol particles (6170) were analyzed as individual particles and classified according to their chemical composition, size, number concentration per cubic centimeter and morphology. Most of the aerosol particles could be classified into four groups. The first contains gypsum from the sea and from industrial sources brought in by land breezes. A second group is characterized by continental aluminosilicate and quartz. A third group consists of sea salt mixed with sulfate particles. The fourth group is characterized by an abundance of sulfate particles, some of which are ammonium sulfate brought by the land breezes. The particles were identified as marine and mineral aerosols which originated in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean sea, while local aerosols brought by land breeze characterized by phosphate, fly ash and soil particles originated in the Haifa industrial zone. In addition, the aerosols were analyzed for sulfates and nitrates. Aerosols of sea and land breezes differed as follows: (1) Sulfate and nitrate concentrations in the aerosols were 5-10 times higher during land breeze than during sea breeze, and the total content of suspended particles was, respectively, 6-12 times higher. (2) Particle size spectra during land breeze were broader than during sea breeze and their concentrations were about 20 times greater. Analyses of individual particles by electron microscopy revealed that during the sea breeze the aerosols contained calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate and sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid, of pH 2.5, is due to the long-range transport as previously reported ( Ganor et al., 1993) while the other sulfates are from the sea. This explains the high concentration of sulfates in the atmospheric sea breeze above the Israelian Mediterranean coast during the summertime.

Mortality and survival patterns of childhood lymphomas: geographic and age-specific patterns in Southern-Eastern European and SEER/US registration data.

PubMed

Karalexi, Maria A; Georgakis, Marios K; Dessypris, Nick; Ryzhov, Anton; Zborovskaya, Anna; Dimitrova, Nadya; Zivkovic, Snezana; Eser, Sultan; Antunes, Luis; Sekerija, Mario; Zagar, Tina; Bastos, Joana; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Florea, Margareta; Coza, Daniela; Bouka, Evdoxia; Dana, Helen; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Kourti, Maria; Moschovi, Maria; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Pourtsidis, Apostolos; Petridou, Eleni Th

2017-12-01

Childhood (0-14 years) lymphomas, nowadays, present a highly curable malignancy compared with other types of cancer. We used readily available cancer registration data to assess mortality and survival disparities among children residing in Southern-Eastern European (SEE) countries and those in the United States. Average age-standardized mortality rates and time trends of Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin (NHL; including Burkitt [BL]) lymphomas in 14 SEE cancer registries (1990-2014) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER, United States; 1990-2012) were calculated. Survival patterns in a total of 8918 cases distinguishing also BL were assessed through Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models. Variable, rather decreasing, mortality trends were noted among SEE. Rates were overall higher than that in SEER (1.02/10 6 ), which presented a sizeable (-4.8%, P = .0001) annual change. Additionally, remarkable survival improvements were manifested in SEER (10 years: 96%, 86%, and 90% for HL, NHL, and BL, respectively), whereas diverse, still lower, rates were noted in SEE. Non-HL was associated with a poorer outcome and an amphi-directional age-specific pattern; specifically, prognosis was inferior in children younger than 5 years than in those who are 10 to 14 years old from SEE (hazard ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.96) and superior in children who are 5 to 9 years old from SEER/United States (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.46-0.88) than in those who are 10 to 14 years old. In conclusion, higher SEE lymphoma mortality rates than those in SEER, but overall decreasing trends, were found. Despite significant survival gains among developed countries, there are still substantial geographic, disease subtype-specific, and age-specific outcome disparities pointing to persisting gaps in the implementation of new treatment modalities and indicating further research needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The SEER Readability Technique: How Practicable is It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffelmeyer, Frederick A.

1982-01-01

Evaluates the practicability of the Singer Eyeball Estimate of Readability (SEER) techniques with 32 college students. Reveals that only two of the students met SEER's criterion for being considered acceptable judges. Concludes that the criterion is overly stringent and proposes a revised criterion designed to make the SEER technique more…

Risk Factors for Cancer | Did You Know?

Cancer.gov

Age, weight, exposure to carcinogens, and genetics can increase the risk of developing cancer. Learn more from this Did You Know? video produced by NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.

A characterisation of sea-breeze events in the eastern Cantabrian coast (Spain) from observational data and WRF simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrillaga, Jon A.; Yagüe, Carlos; Sastre, Mariano; Román-Cascón, Carlos

2016-11-01

The behaviour of the sea breeze along the north coast of Spain is investigated using observations of two topographically contrasting sites together with simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. An objective and systematic selection method is used to detect sea-breeze days from a database of two summer months. The direction and intensity of the sea breeze are significantly affected by the topography of the area; indeed, the estimated sea-breeze intensity shows an opposite relationship with the cross-shore temperature gradient for both sites. WRF simulations reproduce the onset of the sea breeze, but some characteristics are not adequately simulated: they generally overestimate the wind speed, smooth the temperature evolution and they do not represent the correct interaction with the terrain-induced flows. Additionally, four sensitivity experiments are performed with the WRF model varying the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) scheme, as well as the grid analysis nudging for an anomalous case study which is incorrectly filtered. As the two simulations considering nudging reproduce an unreal (not observed) sea breeze, this day turns out to be of great interest: it allows to evaluate the influence of the passage of the sea-breeze front (SBF) in other variables mainly related to turbulence. Furthermore, the best model scores are obtained for the PBL scheme that does not use a TKE closure.

Retinoblastoma incidence patterns in the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program.

PubMed

Wong, Jeannette R; Tucker, Margaret A; Kleinerman, Ruth A; Devesa, Susan S

2014-04-01

IMPORTANCE Several studies have found no temporal or demographic differences in the incidence of retinoblastoma except for age at diagnosis, whereas other studies have reported variations in incidence by sex and race/ethnicity. OBJECTIVE To examine updated US retinoblastoma incidence patterns by sex, age at diagnosis, laterality, race/ethnicity, and year of diagnosis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) databases were examined for retinoblastoma incidence patterns by demographic and tumor characteristics. We studied 721 children in SEER 18 registries, 659 in SEER 13 registries, and 675 in SEER 9 registries. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incidence rates, incidence rate ratios (IRRs), and annual percent changes in rates. RESULTS During 2000-2009 in SEER 18, there was a significant excess of total retinoblastoma among boys compared with girls (IRR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.36), in contrast to earlier reports of a female predominance. Bilateral retinoblastoma among white Hispanic boys was significantly elevated relative to white non-Hispanic boys (IRR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.79) and white Hispanic girls (IRR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.91) because of less rapid decreases in bilateral rates since the 1990s among white Hispanic boys than among the other groups. Retinoblastoma rates among white non-Hispanics decreased significantly since 1992 among those younger than 1 year and since 1998 among those with bilateral disease. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Although changes in the availability of prenatal screening practices for retinoblastoma may have contributed to these incidence patterns, further research is necessary to determine their actual effect on the changing incidence of retinoblastoma in the US population. In addition, consistent with other cancers, an excess of retinoblastoma diagnosed in boys suggests a potential effect of sex on cancer origin.

Investigation of local meteorological events and their relationship with ozone and aerosols during an ESCOMPTE photochemical episode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin, P.; Delbarre, H.; Lohou, F.; Campistron, B.; Puygrenier, V.; Cachier, H.; Lombardo, T.

2006-11-01

The international ESCOMPTE campaign, which took place in summer 2001 in the most highly polluted French region, was devoted to validate air pollution prediction models. Surface and remote sensing instruments (Lidar, Radar and Sodar) were deployed over the Marseille area, along the Mediterranean coast, in order to investigate the fine structure of the sea-breeze circulation and its relationship with the pollutant concentrations. The geographical situation of the Marseille region combines a complex coastline and relief which both lead to a peculiar behaviour of the sea-breeze circulation. Several local sea breezes, perpendicular to the nearest coastline, settled in during the morning. In the afternoons, when the thermal gradient between the continental and marine surface grows up, a southerly or a westerly sea breeze may dominate. Their respective importance is then a function of time, space and altitude. Furthermore, an oscillation of the westerly sea breeze with a period of about 3 h is also highlighted. We show that these dynamical characteristics have profound influences on the atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) development and on pollutant concentrations. In fact, the direction and intensity of the sea-breeze determine the route and the transit time of the stable marine air flow over the continental surface. Thus, the ABL depth may exhibit several collapses correlated with the westerly sea-breeze pulsation. The ozone and aerosol concentrations are also related to the dynamical features. In the suburbs and parts of the city under pulsed sea breezes, a higher ABL depth and higher ozone concentrations are observed. In the city centre, this relationship between pulsed sea-breeze intensity and ozone concentration is different, emphasising the importance of the transit time and also the build-up of pollutants in the marine air mass along the route. Finally, the variations of aerosol concentration are also described according to the breeze direction.

Idealized WRF model sensitivity simulations of sea breeze types and their effects on offshore windfields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, C. J.; Dorling, S. R.; von Glasow, R.; Bacon, J.

2013-01-01

The behaviour and characteristics of the marine component of sea breeze cells have received little attention relative to their onshore counterparts. Yet there is a growing interest and dependence on the offshore wind climate from, for example, a wind energy perspective. Using idealized model experiments, we investigate the sea breeze circulation at scales which approximate to those of the southern North Sea, a region of major ongoing offshore wind farm development. We also contrast the scales and characteristics of the pure and the little known corkscrew and backdoor sea breeze types, where the type is pre-defined by the orientation of the synoptic scale flow relative to the shoreline. We find, crucially, that pure sea breezes, in contrast to corkscrew and backdoor types, can lead to substantial wind speed reductions offshore and that the addition of a second eastern coastline emphasises this effect through generation of offshore "calm zones". The offshore extent of all sea breeze types is found to be sensitive to both the influence of Coriolis acceleration and to the boundary layer scheme selected. These extents range, for example for a pure sea breeze produced in a 2 m s-1 offshore gradient wind, from 0 km to 21 km between the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino and the Yonsei State University schemes respectively. The corkscrew type restricts the development of a backdoor sea breeze on the opposite coast and is also capable of traversing a 100 km offshore domain even under high along-shore gradient wind speed (>15 m s-1) conditions. Realistic variations in sea surface skin temperature and initializing vertical thermodynamic profile do not significantly alter the resulting circulation, though the strengths of the simulated sea breezes are modulated if the effective land-sea thermal contrast is altered. We highlight how sea breeze impacts on circulation need to be considered in order to improve the accuracy of both assessments of the offshore wind energy climate and forecasts of wind energy output.

Regional transport and dilution during high-pollution episodes in southern France: Summary of findings from the Field Experiment to Constraint Models of Atmospheric Pollution and Emissions Transport (ESCOMPTE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobinski, P.; SaïD, F.; Ancellet, G.; Arteta, J.; Augustin, P.; Bastin, S.; Brut, A.; Caccia, J. L.; Campistron, B.; Cautenet, S.; Colette, A.; Coll, I.; Corsmeier, U.; Cros, B.; Dabas, A.; Delbarre, H.; Dufour, A.; Durand, P.; GuéNard, V.; Hasel, M.; Kalthoff, N.; Kottmeier, C.; Lasry, F.; Lemonsu, A.; Lohou, F.; Masson, V.; Menut, L.; Moppert, C.; Peuch, V. H.; Puygrenier, V.; Reitebuch, O.; Vautard, R.

2007-07-01

In the French Mediterranean basin the large city of Marseille and its industrialized suburbs (oil plants in the Fos-Berre area) are major pollutant sources that cause frequent and hazardous pollution episodes, especially in summer when intense solar heating enhances the photochemical activity and when the sea breeze circulation redistributes pollutants farther north in the countryside. This paper summarizes the findings of 5 years of research on the sea breeze in southern France and related mesoscale transport and dilution of pollutants within the Field Experiment to Constraint Models of Atmospheric Pollution and Emissions Transport (ESCOMPTE) program held in June and July 2001. This paper provides an overview of the experimental and numerical challenges identified before the ESCOMPTE field experiment and summarizes the key findings made in observation, simulation, and theory. We specifically address the role of large-scale atmospheric circulation to local ozone vertical distribution and the mesoscale processes driving horizontal advection of pollutants and vertical transport and mixing via entrainment at the top of the sea breeze or at the front and venting along the sloped terrain. The crucial importance of the interactions between processes of various spatial and temporal scales is thus highlighted. The advances in numerical modeling and forecasting of sea breeze events and ozone pollution episodes in southern France are also underlined. Finally, we conclude and point out some open research questions needing further investigation.

Using cancer registries to assess the accuracy of primary liver or intrahepatic bile duct cancer as the underlying cause of death, 1999-2010.

PubMed

Polednak, Anthony P

2013-01-01

Inaccuracies in primary liver cancer (ie, excluding intrahepatic bile duct [IHBD]) or IHBD cancer as the underlying cause of death on the death certificate vs the cancer site in a cancer registry should be considered in surveillance of mortality rates in the population. Concordance between cancer site on the death record (1999-2010) and diagnosis (1973-2010) in the database for 9 cancer registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program was examined for decedents with only 1 cancer recorded. Overreporting of deaths coded to liver cancer (ie, lack of confirmation in SEER) was largely balanced by underreporting (ie, a cancer site other than liver cancer in SEER). For IHBD cancer, overreporting was much more frequent than underreporting. Using modified rates, based on the most accurate numerators available, had little impact on trends for liver cancer in the SEER population, which were similar to trends for the entire US population based on routine statistics. An increase in the death rate for IHBD cancer, however, was no longer evident after modification. The findings support the use of routine data on underlying cause of death for surveillance of trends in death rates for liver cancer but not for IHBD cancer. Additional population-based cancer registries could potentially be used for surveillance of recent and future trends in mortality rates from these cancers.

SEER Data & Software

Cancer.gov

Options for accessing datasets for incidence, mortality, county populations, standard populations, expected survival, and SEER-linked and specialized data. Plus variable definitions, documentation for reporting and using datasets, statistical software (SEER*Stat), and observational research resources.

Field Observations of Swash-Zone Dynamics on a Sea-Breeze Dominated Beach at the Yucatán Peninsula, México

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chardon-Maldonado, P.; Puleo, J. A.; Torres-Freyermuth, A.

2016-02-01

Sea breezes can modify the nearshore processes and alter beach morphology depending on the geographical location. Prior studies have shown that surf zone wave energy intensifies during strong sea-breeze conditions (wind speeds > 10 ms-1) and the impact on the coast can be similar to a small storm. However, few research efforts have investigated the coastal dynamics on sea-breeze dominated beaches (e.g., Masselink and Pattiaratchi, 1998, Mar. Geol.; Pattiaratchi et al., 1997, Cont. Shelf Res.) and, to the authors' knowledge, only one study has focused on swash-zone processes (Sonu et al., 1973, EOS). A field study was performed on a microtidal, low wave energy, sea-breeze dominated sandy beach in order to investigate the effects of local (sea breeze) and synoptic (storm) scale meteorological events on swash-zone dynamics. In-situ measurements of swash-zone hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes were collected from March 31st to April 12th, 2014 in Sisal, Yucatán located on the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Flow velocities and suspended sediment concentrations were measured concurrently, at multiple cross-shore and alongshore locations, using Vectrino-II profiling velocimeters and optical backscatter sensors, respectively. The high resolution data allowed the quantification of bed shear stress, turbulent dissipation rate, sediment loads and sediment flux during a mesoscale frontal system (cold-front passage referred to as an El Norte) and local sea-breeze cycles. Field observations showed that strong swash-zone bed shear stresses, turbulence intensity and sediment suspension occur during energetic conditions (i.e., El Norte event). On the other hand, despite milder energy conditions during the sea-breeze events, the alongshore component of bed-shear stresses and velocities can be significant owing to the high incidence wave angle associated with the sea-breeze system in the study area. The increased forcing in the swash zone induced sediment suspension, eroding the foreshore and causing accretion in the surf zone. The preliminary analysis demonstrates that strong sea-breeze events induce a significant alongshore swash-zone sediment transport that may be more important than that observed during an El Norte event.

The Influence of Soil Moisture, Coastline Curvature, and Land-Breeze Circulations on Sea-Breeze Initiated Precipitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, David R.; Lynn, Barry H.; Boone, Aaron; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Simpson, Joanne

2000-01-01

Idealized numerical simulations are performed with a coupled atmosphere/land-surface model to identify the roles of initial soil moisture, coastline curvature, and land breeze circulations on sea breeze initiated precipitation. Data collected on 27 July 1991 during the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CAPE) in central Florida are used. The 3D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) cloud resolving model is coupled with the Goddard Parameterization for Land-Atmosphere-Cloud Exchange (PLACE) land surface model, thus providing a tool to simulate more realistically land-surface/atmosphere interaction and convective initiation. Eight simulations are conducted with either straight or curved coast-lines, initially homogeneous soil moisture or initially variable soil moisture, and initially homogeneous horizontal winds or initially variable horizontal winds (land breezes). All model simulations capture the diurnal evolution and general distribution of sea-breeze initiated precipitation over central Florida. The distribution of initial soil moisture influences the timing, intensity and location of subsequent precipitation. Soil moisture acts as a moisture source for the atmosphere, increases the connectively available potential energy, and thus preferentially focuses heavy precipitation over existing wet soil. Strong soil moisture-induced mesoscale circulations are not evident in these simulations. Coastline curvature has a major impact on the timing and location of precipitation. Earlier low-level convergence occurs inland of convex coastlines, and subsequent precipitation occurs earlier in simulations with curved coastlines. The presence of initial land breezes alone has little impact on subsequent precipitation. however, simulations with both coastline curvature and initial land breezes produce significantly larger peak rain rates due to nonlinear interactions.

A Coastal Bay Summer Breeze Study, Part 2: High-resolution Numerical Simulation of Sea-breeze Local Influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calmet, Isabelle; Mestayer, Patrice G.; van Eijk, Alexander M. J.; Herlédant, Olivier

2018-04-01

We complete the analysis of the data obtained during the experimental campaign around the semi circular bay of Quiberon, France, during two weeks in June 2006 (see Part 1). A reanalysis of numerical simulations performed with the Advanced Regional Prediction System model is presented. Three nested computational domains with increasing horizontal resolution down to 100 m, and a vertical resolution of 10 m at the lowest level, are used to reproduce the local-scale variations of the breeze close to the water surface of the bay. The Weather Research and Forecasting mesoscale model is used to assimilate the meteorological data. Comparisons of the simulations with the experimental data obtained at three sites reveal a good agreement of the flow over the bay and around the Quiberon peninsula during the daytime periods of sea-breeze development and weakening. In conditions of offshore synoptic flow, the simulations demonstrate that the semi-circular shape of the bay induces a corresponding circular shape in the offshore zones of stagnant flow preceding the sea-breeze onset, which move further offshore thereafter. The higher-resolution simulations are successful in reproducing the small-scale impacts of the peninsula and local coasts (breeze deviations, wakes, flow divergences), and in demonstrating the complexity of the breeze fields close to the surface over the bay. Our reanalysis also provides guidance for numerical simulation strategies for analyzing the structure and evolution of the near-surface breeze over a semi-circular bay, and for forecasting important flow details for use in upcoming sailing competitions.

78 FR 62300 - Prairie Breeze Wind Energy LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-15

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER14-25-000] Prairie Breeze Wind Energy LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket... Breeze Wind Energy LLC's application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate schedule...

A case study of sea breeze blocking regulated by sea surface temperature along the English south coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeney, J. K.; Chagnon, J. M.; Gray, S. L.

2013-09-01

The sensitivity of sea breeze structure to sea surface temperature (SST) and coastal orography is investigated in convection-permitting Met Office Unified Model simulations of a case study along the south coast of England. Changes in SST of 1 K are shown to significantly modify the structure of the sea breeze. On the day of the case study the sea breeze was partially blocked by coastal orography, particularly within Lyme Bay. The extent to which the flow is blocked depends strongly on the static stability of the marine boundary layer. In experiments with colder SST, the marine boundary layer is more stable, and the degree of blocking is more pronounced. The implications of prescribing fixed SST from climatology in numerical weather prediction model forecasts of the sea breeze are discussed.

SEER Abstracting Tool (SEER*Abs)

Cancer.gov

With this customizable tool, registrars can collect and store data abstracted from medical records. Download the software and find technical support and reference manuals. SEER*Abs has features for creating records, managing abstracting work and data, accessing reference data, and integrating edits.

MindSeer: a portable and extensible tool for visualization of structural and functional neuroimaging data.

PubMed

Moore, Eider B; Poliakov, Andrew V; Lincoln, Peter; Brinkley, James F

2007-10-15

Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of multimodality neuroimaging data provides a powerful technique for viewing the relationship between structure and function. A number of applications are available that include some aspect of 3-D visualization, including both free and commercial products. These applications range from highly specific programs for a single modality, to general purpose toolkits that include many image processing functions in addition to visualization. However, few if any of these combine both stand-alone and remote multi-modality visualization in an open source, portable and extensible tool that is easy to install and use, yet can be included as a component of a larger information system. We have developed a new open source multimodality 3-D visualization application, called MindSeer, that has these features: integrated and interactive 3-D volume and surface visualization, Java and Java3D for true cross-platform portability, one-click installation and startup, integrated data management to help organize large studies, extensibility through plugins, transparent remote visualization, and the ability to be integrated into larger information management systems. We describe the design and implementation of the system, as well as several case studies that demonstrate its utility. These case studies are available as tutorials or demos on the associated website: http://sig.biostr.washington.edu/projects/MindSeer. MindSeer provides a powerful visualization tool for multimodality neuroimaging data. Its architecture and unique features also allow it to be extended into other visualization domains within biomedicine.

Tissues from population-based cancer registries: a novel approach to increasing research potential.

PubMed

Goodman, Marc T; Hernandez, Brenda Y; Hewitt, Stephen; Lynch, Charles F; Coté, Timothy R; Frierson, Henry F; Moskaluk, Christopher A; Killeen, Jeffrey L; Cozen, Wendy; Key, Charles R; Clegg, Limin; Reichman, Marsha; Hankey, Benjamin F; Edwards, Brenda

2005-07-01

Population-based cancer registries, such as those included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) Program, offer tremendous research potential beyond traditional surveillance activities. We describe the expansion of SEER registries to gather formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from cancer patients on a population basis. Population-based tissue banks have the advantage of providing an unbiased sampling frame for evaluating the public health impact of genes or protein targets that may be used for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes in defined communities. Such repositories provide a unique resource for testing new molecular classification schemes for cancer, validating new biologic markers of malignancy, prognosis and progression, assessing therapeutic targets, and measuring allele frequencies of cancer-associated genetic polymorphisms or germline mutations in representative samples. The assembly of tissue microarrays will allow for the use of rapid, large-scale protein-expression profiling of tumor samples while limiting depletion of this valuable resource. Access to biologic specimens through SEER registries will provide researchers with demographic, clinical, and risk factor information on cancer patients with assured data quality and completeness. Clinical outcome data, such as disease-free survival, can be correlated with previously validated prognostic markers. Furthermore, the anonymity of the study subject can be protected through rigorous standards of confidentiality. SEER-based tissue resources represent a step forward in true, population-based tissue repositories of tumors from US patients and may serve as a foundation for molecular epidemiology studies of cancer in this country.

Cancer Incidence in the U.S. Military Population: Comparison with Rates from the SEER Program

PubMed Central

Zhu, Kangmin; Devesa, Susan S.; Wu, Hongyu; Zahm, Shelia H.; Jatoi, Ismail; Anderson, William F.; Peoples, George; Maxwell, Larry G.; Granger, Elder; Potter, John F.; McGlynn, Katherine A.

2009-01-01

The U.S. active-duty military population may differ from the U.S. general population in its exposure to cancer risk factors and access to medical care. Yet, it is not known if cancer incidence rates differ between these two populations. We therefore compared the incidence of four cancers common in U.S. adults (lung, colorectum, prostate, and breast cancers) and two cancers more common in U.S. young adults (testicular and cervical cancers) in the military and general populations. Data from the Department of Defense's Automated Central Tumor Registry (ACTUR) and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) nine cancer registries for the years 1990-2004 for persons aged 20-59 years were analyzed. Incidence rates were significantly lower in the military population for colorectal cancer in white men, lung cancer in white and black men and white women, and cervical cancer in black women. In contrast, incidence rates of breast and prostate cancers were significantly higher in the military among both whites and blacks. Incidence rates of testicular cancer did not differ between ACTUR and SEER. Although the numbers of diagnoses among military personnel were relatively small for temporal trend analysis, we found a more prominent increase in prostate cancer in ACTUR than in SEER. Overall, these results suggest that cancer patterns may differ between military and non-military populations. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore contributing factors. PMID:19505907

33 CFR 334.775 - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area. 334.775 Section 334.775 Navigation... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.775 Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze...

33 CFR 334.775 - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area. 334.775 Section 334.775 Navigation... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.775 Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze...

Variable & Recode Definitions - SEER Documentation

Cancer.gov

Resources that define variables and provide documentation for reporting using SEER and related datasets. Choose from SEER coding and staging manuals plus instructions for recoding behavior, site, stage, cause of death, insurance, and several additional topics. Also guidance on months survived, calculating Hispanic mortality, and site-specific surgery.

Informatics research using publicly available pathology data.

PubMed

Berman, Jules J

2011-01-24

The day has not arrived when pathology departments freely distribute their collected anatomic and clinical data for research purposes. Nonetheless, several valuable public domain data sets are currently available, from the U.S. Government. Two public data sets of special interest to pathologists are the SEER (the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program) public use data files, and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) mortality files. The SEER files contain about 4 million de-identified cancer records, dating from 1973. The CDC mortality files contain approximately 85 million de-identified death records, dating from 1968. This editorial briefly describes both data sources, how they can be obtained, and how they may be used for pathology research.

SEER Cancer Registry Biospecimen Research: Yesterday and Tomorrow

PubMed Central

Altekruse, Sean F.; Rosenfeld, Gabriel E.; Carrick, Danielle M.; Pressman, Emilee J.; Schully, Sheri D.; Mechanic, Leah E.; Cronin, Kathleen A.; Hernandez, Brenda Y.; Lynch, Charles F.; Cozen, Wendy; Khoury, Muin J.; Penberthy, Lynne T.

2014-01-01

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries have been a source of biospecimens for cancer research for decades. Recently, registry-based biospecimen studies have become more practical, with the expansion of electronic networks for pathology and medical record reporting. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens are now used for next-generation sequencing and other molecular techniques. These developments create new opportunities for SEER biospecimen research. We evaluated 31 research articles published during 2005–2013 based on author confirmation that these studies involved linkage of SEER data to biospecimens. Rather than providing an exhaustive review of all possible articles, our intent was to indicate the breadth of research made possible by such a resource. We also summarize responses to a 2012 questionnaire that was broadly distributed to the NCI intra- and extramural biospecimen research community. This included responses from 30 investigators who had used SEER biospecimens in their research. The survey was not intended to be a systematic sample, but instead to provide anecdotal insight on strengths, limitations, and the future of SEER biospecimen research. Identified strengths of this research resource include biospecimen availability, cost, and annotation of data, including demographic information, stage, and survival. Shortcomings include limited annotation of clinical attributes such as detailed chemotherapy history and recurrence, and timeliness of turnaround following biospecimen requests. A review of selected SEER biospecimen articles, investigator feedback, and technological advances reinforced our view that SEER biospecimen resources should be developed. This would advance cancer biology, etiology, and personalized therapy research. PMID:25472677

The role of poverty rate and racial distribution in the geographic clustering of breast cancer survival among older women: a geographic and multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Schootman, Mario; Jeffe, Donna B; Lian, Min; Gillanders, William E; Aft, Rebecca

2009-03-01

The authors examined disparities in survival among women aged 66 years or older in association with census-tract-level poverty rate, racial distribution, and individual-level factors, including patient-, treatment-, and tumor-related factors, utilization of medical care, and mammography use. They used linked data from the 1992-1999 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) programs, 1991-1999 Medicare claims, and the 1990 US Census. A geographic information system and advanced statistics identified areas of increased or reduced breast cancer survival and possible reasons for geographic variation in survival in 2 of the 5 SEER areas studied. In the Detroit, Michigan, area, one geographic cluster of shorter-than-expected breast cancer survival was identified (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.60). An additional area where survival was longer than expected approached statistical significance (HR = 0.4; P = 0.056). In the Atlanta, Georgia, area, one cluster of shorter- (HR = 1.81) and one cluster of longer-than-expected (HR = 0.72) breast cancer survival were identified. Stage at diagnosis and census-tract poverty (and patient's race in Atlanta) explained the geographic variation in breast cancer survival. No geographic clusters were identified in the 3 other SEER programs. Interventions to reduce late-stage breast cancer, focusing on areas of high poverty and targeting African Americans, may reduce disparities in breast cancer survival in the Detroit and Atlanta areas.

Cancer incidence among Arab Americans in California, Detroit, and New Jersey SEER registries.

PubMed

Bergmans, Rachel; Soliman, Amr S; Ruterbusch, Julie; Meza, Rafael; Hirko, Kelly; Graff, John; Schwartz, Kendra

2014-06-01

We calculated cancer incidence for Arab Americans in California; Detroit, Michigan; and New Jersey, and compared rates with non-Hispanic, non-Arab Whites (NHNAWs); Blacks; and Hispanics. We conducted a study using population-based data. We linked new cancers diagnosed in 2000 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) to an Arab surname database. We used standard SEER definitions and methodology for calculating rates. Population estimates were extracted from the 2000 US Census. We calculated incidence and rate ratios. Arab American men and women had similar incidence rates across the 3 geographic regions, and the rates were comparable to NHNAWs. However, the thyroid cancer rate was elevated among Arab American women compared with NHNAWs, Hispanics, and Blacks. For all sites combined, for prostate and lung cancer, Arab American men had a lower incidence than Blacks and higher incidence than Hispanics in all 3 geographic regions. Arab American male bladder cancer incidence was higher than that in Hispanics and Blacks in these regions. Our results suggested that further research would benefit from the federal recognition of Arab Americans as a specified ethnicity to estimate and address the cancer burden in this growing segment of the population.

North-western Mediterranean sea-breeze circulation in a regional climate system model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobinski, Philippe; Bastin, Sophie; Arsouze, Thomas; Béranger, Karine; Flaounas, Emmanouil; Stéfanon, Marc

2017-04-01

In the Mediterranean basin, moisture transport can occur over large distance from remote regions by the synoptic circulation or more locally by sea breezes, driven by land-sea thermal contrast. Sea breezes play an important role in inland transport of moisture especially between late spring and early fall. In order to explicitly represent the two-way interactions at the atmosphere-ocean interface in the Mediterranean region and quantify the role of air-sea feedbacks on regional meteorology and climate, simulations at 20 km resolution performed with WRF regional climate model (RCM) and MORCE atmosphere-ocean regional climate model (AORCM) coupling WRF and NEMO-MED12 in the frame of HyMeX/MED-CORDEX are compared. One result of this study is that these simulations reproduce remarkably well the intensity, direction and inland penetration of the sea breeze and even the existence of the shallow sea breeze despite the overestimate of temperature over land in both simulations. The coupled simulation provides a more realistic representation of the evolution of the SST field at fine scale than the atmosphere-only one. Temperature and moisture anomalies are created in direct response to the SST anomaly and are advected by the sea breeze over land. However, the SST anomalies are not of sufficient magnitude to affect the large-scale sea-breeze circulation. The temperature anomalies are quickly damped by strong surface heating over land, whereas the water vapor mixing ratio anomalies are transported further inland. The inland limit of significance is imposed by the vertical dilution in a deeper continental boundary-layer.

Diagnosis of sea breeze cases over the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo with the WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homann, C.; Freitas, E. D.

2013-05-01

The sea breeze is a great responsible for the organization of severe weather events, climate patterns and air pollution dispersion over the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), being the knowledge about its correct predictability very important in the region. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model was used to simulate some events of sea breeze propagation over the MASP during the winter season of 2009 (18th and 20th june, 29th august, 02nd September) with the objective to analyze the skill of the model on the predictability of this events using the default parameterizations available in the model and identify some flaws and possible adjustments to be made in the model. For this purpose, the simulation results were compared with the observed velocity and wind direction collected in the "Campo de Marte" Airport - SP. The model had a good response for all simulated days, where the horizontal wind and the vapor mixing ratio indicating correctly the sea breeze arrival over the region. Another important feature observed in the wind moisture fields was the moments that the sea breeze reaches different parts of MASP in response to the Urban Heat Island effect, which can accelerate or prevent the sea breeze propagation depending on location, as observed in other studies, and the relative position of the metropolitan area with respect to the sea-shore and the topography of the region. It was observed that the sea-breeze front reaches the southwest portion of MASP approximately two hours before it reaches the northwest portion.

Bay Breeze Influence on Surface Ozone at Edgewood, MD During July 2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stauffer, Ryan M.; Thompson, Anne M.; Martins, Douglas K.; Clark, Richard D.; Goldberg, Daniel L.; Loughner, Christopher P.; Delgado, Ruben; Dickerson, Russell R.; Stehr, Jeffrey W.; Tzortziou, Maria A.

2012-01-01

Surface ozone (O3) was analyzed to investigate the role of the bay breeze on air quality at two locations in Edgewood, Maryland (lat: 39.4deg, lon: -76.3deg) for the month of July 2011. Measurements were taken as part of the first year of NASA's "Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality" (DISCOVER-AQ) Earth Venture campaign and as part of NASA's Geostationary for Coastal and Air Pollution Events Chesapeake Bay Oceanographic campaign with DISCOVER-AQ (Geo-CAPE CBODAQ). Geo-CAPE CBODAQ complements DISCOVER-AQ by providing ship-based observations over the Chesapeake Bay. A major goal of DISCOVER-AQ is determining the relative roles of sources, photochemistry and local meteorology during air quality events in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Surface characteristics, transport and vertical structures of O3 during bay breezes were identified using in-situ surface, balloon and aircraft data, along with remote sensing equipment. Localized late day peaks in O3 were observed during bay breeze days, maximizing an average of 3 h later compared to days without bay breezes. Of the 10 days of July 2011 that violated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 8 h O3 standard of 75 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at Edgewood, eight exhibited evidence of a bay breeze circulation. The results indicate that while bay breezes and the processes associated with them are not necessary to cause exceedances in this area, bay breezes exacerbate poor air quality that sustains into the late evening hours at Edgewood. The vertical and horizontal distributions of O3 from the coastal Edgewood area to the bay also show large gradients that are often determined by boundary layer stability. Thus, developing air quality models that can sufficiently resolve these dynamics and associated chemistry, along with more consistent monitoring of O3 and meteorology on and along the complex coastline of Chesapeake Bay must be a high priority.

NASA Applied Sciences' DEVELOP National Program: Summer 2010 Florida Agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooley, Zachary C.; Billiot, Amanda; Lee, Lucas; McKee, Jake

2010-01-01

The main agricultural areas in South Florida are located within the fertile land surrounding Lake Okeechobee. The Atlantic Watershed monthly rainfall anomalies showed a weak but statistically significant correlation to the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI). No other watershed s anomalies showed significant correlations with ONI or the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). During La Nina months, less sea breeze days and more disturbed days were found to occur compared to El Nino and neutral months. The increase in disturbed days can likely by attributed to the synoptic pattern during La Nina, which is known to be favorable for tropical systems to follow paths that affect South Florida. Overall, neither sea breeze rainfall patterns nor total rainfall patterns in South Florida s main agricultural areas were found to be strongly influenced by the El Nino Southern Oscillation during our study time.

Sea breeze: Induced mesoscale systems and severe weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholls, M. E.; Pielke, R. A.; Cotton, W. R.

1990-01-01

Sea-breeze-deep convective interactions over the Florida peninsula were investigated using a cloud/mesoscale numerical model. The objective was to gain a better understanding of sea-breeze and deep convective interactions over the Florida peninsula using a high resolution convectively explicit model and to use these results to evaluate convective parameterization schemes. A 3-D numerical investigation of Florida convection was completed. The Kuo and Fritsch-Chappell parameterization schemes are summarized and evaluated.

Seer 2008 Session III Discussant Remarks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Jacquie

2009-01-01

Three research abstracts dealt with program outcomes and the factors that affect them. Morgan (2008) dealt with the potential influence of sensation-seeking personality traits on perceived risk and perceived competence in adventure experiences. Two abstracts by Bobilya, Akey, and Mitchell, Jr. (2008) and Austin, Martin, Mittelstaedt, Schanning,…

Bridging the Hemispheres through the Use of Technology: International Collaboration in Social Work Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rautenbach, John Victor; Black-Hughes, Christine

2012-01-01

The social work programs of the University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa, and Minnesota State University, Mankato, United States, began using various technologies in 2007 to facilitate interaction. This project included conducting practicum supervision and seminars via videoconferencing (using Breeze, Adobe Connect, and Skype) and…

Development of a Cost Estimation Process for Human Systems Integration Practitioners During the Analysis of Alternatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

processes. Novice estimators must often use of these complicated cost estimation tools (e.g., ACEIT , SEER-H, SEER-S, PRICE-H, PRICE-S, etc.) until...However, the thesis will leverage the processes embedded in cost estimation tools such as the Automated Cost Estimating Integration Tool ( ACEIT ) and the

Investigation on the fine structure of sea-breeze during ESCOMPTE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puygrenier, V.; Lohou, F.; Campistron, B.; Saïd, F.; Pigeon, G.; Bénech, B.; Serça, D.

2005-03-01

Surface and remote-sensing instruments deployed during ESCOMPTE experiment over the Marseille area, along the Mediterranean coast, were used to investigate the fine structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) during sea-breeze circulation in relation to pollutant transport and diffusion. Six sea-breeze events are analyzed with a particular focus on 25 June 2001. Advection of cool and humid marine air over land has a profound influence on the daytime ABL characteristics. This impact decreases rapidly with the inland distance from the sea. Nearby the coast (3 km inland), the mixing height Zi rises up to 750 m and falls down after 15:00 (UT) when the breeze flow reaches its maximum intensity. A more classical evolution of the ABL is observed at only 11-km inland where Zi culminates in the morning and stabilizes in the afternoon at about 1000 m height. Fine inspection of the data revealed an oscillation of the sea-breeze with a period about 2 h 47 min. This feature, clearly discernable for 3 days at least, is present in several atmospheric variables such as wind, temperature, not only at the ground but also aloft in the ABL as observed by sodar/RASS and UHF wind profilers. In particular, the mixing height Zi deduced from UHF profilers observations is affected also by the same periodicity. This pulsated sea-breeze is observed principally above Marseille and, at the northern and eastern shores of the Berre pond. In summary, the periodic intrusion over land of cool marine air modifies the structure of the ABL in the vicinity of the coast from the point of view of stability, turbulent motions and pollutants concentration. An explanation of the source of this pulsated sea-breeze is suggested.

Examining the eastern Amazon Basin breeze circulations, channeling and boundary layer properties using altitude controlled meteorological balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzjarrald, D. R.; Voss, P. B.; Silva, R. D.; Callahan, S.; Dewald, A.; do Vale, R. S.

2017-12-01

During the period August 24-28, 2016, in a delayed component the GO-Amazon Project, we launched nine altitude-controlled free balloons (CMET). Smaller than typical rawinsondes, CMET are equipped with altitude control, global communication via Iridium satellite, and aspirated sensors. The aims of our effort were to examine the interactions among convective boundary layer and dual river breeze circulations near the confluence of the Tapajos and Amazon Rivers in the eastern Basin. The week-long field campaign was timed to examine the reestablishment of the breeze circulations shortly after the passage of a strong instability line on August 22. Nine CMET were launched at the Curua-Una hydroelectric dam (2.8S; 54.3W), timed to encounter the Tapajos river breeze front by late afternoon. Soundings were made to establish the thickness of interface between the easterly trade and westerly Tapajos breeze circulation. Careful use of sounding strategies allowed these free balloons to track along the northerly channeled flow in the lowest 300 m above the River. Following the river encounter, balloons tracked to the west, sounding to describe the diurnal course of boundary layer in the forest west of the Tapajos River. The longest flight traveled more than 770 km over three days and twice rested overnight in the rain forest canopy. Ancillary data from surface climate and flux stations as well as the Santarem radiosonde, satellite images will be used to illustrate how the breeze circulations are seen near the surface and how they were disrupted by larger-scale events. Comparisons with HYSPLIT trajectories will illustrate how sensitive real trajectories are to the refraction that the encounter with the breeze effects.

Mesoscale Simulations of Coastal Circulations Evaluated Using Measurements from a Dense MESO Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

latent heat fluxes at the coast (left) and inland (right) color coded by each day (legend in MFL) in case #1 and #2 to show temporal error variances...the coast . This gradient is the main mechanism which drives sea breeze circulations. Numerous studies correlating SHF to sea breeze (Miao et al 2003...calculate. Abbs (1986) argues that water body dimensions play an important factor for sea breezes associated with semi-enclosed bays and lagoons

A study of the Merritt Island, Florida sea breeze flow regimes and their effect on surface heat and moisture fluxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubes, M. T.; Cooper, H. J.; Smith, E. A.

1993-01-01

Data collected during the Convective and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment were analyzed as part of an investigation of the sea breeze in the vicinity of Merritt Island, Florida. Analysis of near-surface divergence fields shows that the classical 24-hour oscillation in divergence over the island due to the direct sea breeze circulation is frequently disrupted and exhibits two distinct modes: the classical sea breeze pattern and deviations from that pattern. A comparison of clear day surface energy fluxes with fluxes on other days indicates that changes in magnitudes were dominated by the presence or absence of clouds. Non-classical sea breeze days tended to lose more available energy in the morning than classical sea breeze days due to earlier development of small cumulus over the island. A composite storm of surface winds, surface energy fluxes, rainfall, and satellite visible data was constructed. A spectral transmittance over the visible wavelengths for the cloud cover resulting from the composite storm was calculated. It is shown that pre-storm transmittances of 0.8 fall to values near 0.1 as the downdraft moves directly over the site. It is also found that under post-composite storm conditions of continuous clear sky days, 3.5 days are required to evaporate back into the atmosphere the latent heat energy lost to the surface by rainfall.

A case study of sea breeze blocking regulated by sea surface temperature along the English south coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeney, J. K.; Chagnon, J. M.; Gray, S. L.

2014-05-01

The sensitivity of sea breeze structure to sea surface temperature (SST) and coastal orography is investigated in convection-permitting Met Office Unified Model simulations of a case study along the south coast of England. Changes in SST of 1 K are shown to significantly modify the structure of the sea breeze immediately offshore. On the day of the case study, the sea breeze was partially blocked by coastal orography, particularly within Lyme Bay. The extent to which the flow is blocked depends strongly on the static stability of the marine boundary layer. In experiments with colder SST, the marine boundary layer is more stable, and the degree of blocking is more pronounced. Although a colder SST would also imply a larger land-sea temperature contrast and hence a stronger onshore wind - an effect which alone would discourage blocking - the increased static stability exerts a dominant control over whether blocking takes place. The implications of prescribing fixed SST from climatology in numerical weather prediction model forecasts of the sea breeze are discussed.

The Sea Breeze in South-Iceland: Observations with an unmanned aircraft and numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opsanger Jonassen, Marius; Ólafsson, Haraldur; Rasol, Dubravka; Reuder, Joachim

2010-05-01

Sea breeze events, 19-20 July 2009, observed during the international field campaign MOSO, at the southcoast of Iceland, have been investigated using high resolution numerical simulations. Thanks to the use of a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS), SUMO, the wind and temperature aloft could be observed at a high resolution in both space and time. Simultaneously with the UAS operations, conventional platforms were used to obtain surface measurements. The observations show a distinct sea breeze circulation with an onset at around noon and a final decay around 19:00 UTC. At the maximum, the sea breeze layer reached a height of appr. 400 m, marked by a capping wind minimum. When compared to the flow aloft, the sea breeze layer was found to exhibit relatively low temperatures and an expected turn from an off-shore to an on-shore flow. Overall, the agreement between the observations and simulations are relatively good. The simulations suggest a horizontal extent of the circulation some 20-30 km off-shore, but only around 5 km on-shore.

Local and Regional Winds: Their Names and Attributes,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-30

bryza morska ("sea breeze"), but it is weaker than it, blowing across the surface of a large lake toward the shore during the daylight hours, mainly...city toward its center, with a simultaneous increase in convection movements above it. Bryza morska ("sea breeze") -- a wind blowing from off the sea...during the summer season for several days during the month; the bryza morska ("sea breeze") may be felt, depending on its intensity, up to distances of

Use of Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases From Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halasz, Lia M., E-mail: lhalasz@uw.edu; Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Weeks, Jane C.

2013-02-01

Purpose: The indications for treatment of brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) remain controversial. We studied patterns, predictors, and cost of SRS use in elderly patients with NSCLC. Methods and Materials: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare (SEER-Medicare) database, we identified patients with NSCLC who were diagnosed with brain metastases between 2000 and 2007. Our cohort included patients treated with radiation therapy and not surgical resection as initial treatment for brain metastases. Results: We identified 7684 patients treated with radiation therapy within 2 months after brain metastases diagnosis, of whom 469 (6.1%) casesmore » had billing codes for SRS. Annual SRS use increased from 3.0% in 2000 to 8.2% in 2005 and varied from 3.4% to 12.5% by specific SEER registry site. After controlling for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, we found SRS use was significantly associated with increasing year of diagnosis, specific SEER registry, higher socioeconomic status, admission to a teaching hospital, no history of participation in low-income state buy-in programs (a proxy for Medicaid eligibility), no extracranial metastases, and longer intervals from NSCLC diagnosis. The average cost per patient associated with radiation therapy was 2.19 times greater for those who received SRS than for those who did not. Conclusions: The use of SRS in patients with metastatic NSCLC increased almost 3-fold from 2000 to 2005. In addition, we found significant variations in SRS use across SEER registries and socioeconomic quartiles. National practice patterns in this study suggested both a lack of consensus and an overall limited use of the approach among elderly patients before 2008.« less

Possible impacts of the pre-monsoon dry line and sea breeze front on nocturnal rainfall over northeast Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiller-Reeve, Mathew; Toniazzo, Thomas; Kolstad, Erik; Spengler, Thomas

2017-04-01

The northeast region of Bangladesh receives a large amount of rainfall before the large-scale monsoon circulation begins. For example, in April (a "pre-monsoon" month) 2010, 804 mm of rain fell in the regional capital Sylhet. It was the second wettest month of the entire year. From our conversations with the local people, we know that this pre-monsoon rainfall is extremely important to their livelihoods. We therefore need to understand it's triggering mechanisms. Several theories have been published, all of which are likely to be at play. However, in this work we look more closely at how the sea breeze front and prominent pre-monsoonal dry line in this region may play a role. If these mechanisms play a role in the convection, then it is likely that they trigger convection further afield, and then the resulting systems then propagate towards northeast Bangladesh. We believe this because rainfall associated with dry line/sea-breeze front convection often occurs during the late afternoon, but the rainfall over northeast Bangladesh shows a clear late-night/early-morning maxima. At present, the temporal and spatial resolution of the regional observations is inappropriate for examining these possible mechanisms. We therefore use a numerical model (WRF) to investigate the possible links between the convection and the sea breeze front and dry line. We use April 2010 as a case study since it was such a wet pre-monsoon month. The simulation shows that a sea breeze circulation often develops during the day in the coastal zone of Bangladesh and northeast India. After sunset the sea breeze front propagates inland pushing back the hot, dry air over India. On several days during the simulation, convection is triggered along the sea breeze front, which then propagates towards northeast Bangladesh and intensifies across the topography surrounding the Sylhet region. From our simulations, it appears that nocturnal convection over northeast Bangladesh is triggered by several mechanisms, but that the dry line and sea breeze front could also be an active contributor.

Fog water collection under sea breeze conditions in the Western Mediterranean basin (Valencia region, Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azorin-Molina, C.; Corell, D.; Estrela, M. J.; Valiente, J. A.

2010-07-01

Orographic fog occurrences associated with sea breezes determine water collection potential over the mountain ranges near the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Previous works have confirmed that the effect of sea breezes on cloud genera is to increase the frequency of low (Stratus) and convective (Cumulus) clouds. The primary impact of sea breeze flows corresponds to low stratiform clouds (Stratus, St, and Stratocumulus, Sc) formed in the convective internal boundary layer due to the inflow of moist sea air at lower levels. The formation of Sc clouds is caused by the rising and cooling of turbulent moist sea air over the highest slopes of the mountains at the end of the day. In the most Sc formation, we also observed dense fog banks of Stratus nebulosus (St neb) and dew during the early next morning, covering the inland topographical depressions. The aim of this study is to statistically analyze the impact of sea breezes on fog water collection in the convective internal boundary layer. The study area is located in the eastern of the Iberian Peninsula (Valencia region, Spain) and the survey corresponds to a 7-yr study period (2003-2009). This research is based upon a small network of eight passive fog water collectors distributed over 6 coastal- and 2 inland-mountain areas. A cylindrical fog water instrument (i.e. omnidirectional collection efficiency) based on the ASRC (Atmospheric Science Research Centre, State University of New York) string collector is used to sample fog water volumes on a daily basis. These stations also sampled temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction and precipitation measurements. The current study used these meteorological measurements to apply an automated and manual selection methodologies for identifying past sea breeze episodes. The dataset created by means of these selection techniques allows for the study of fog water volumes associated with sea breeze situations. A detailed statistical characterization of the orographic clouds episodes associated with sea breezes and other interesting aspects of this fog water collection study are presented here.

Bay breeze influence on surface ozone at Edgewood, MD during July 2011.

PubMed

Stauffer, Ryan M; Thompson, Anne M; Martins, Douglas K; Clark, Richard D; Goldberg, Daniel L; Loughner, Christopher P; Delgado, Ruben; Dickerson, Russell R; Stehr, Jeffrey W; Tzortziou, Maria A

Surface ozone (O 3 ) was analyzed to investigate the role of the bay breeze on air quality at two locations in Edgewood, Maryland (lat: 39.4°, lon: -76.3°) for the month of July 2011. Measurements were taken as part of the first year of NASA's "Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality" (DISCOVER-AQ) Earth Venture campaign and as part of NASA's Geostationary for Coastal and Air Pollution Events Chesapeake Bay Oceanographic campaign with DISCOVER-AQ (Geo-CAPE CBODAQ). Geo-CAPE CBODAQ complements DISCOVER-AQ by providing ship-based observations over the Chesapeake Bay. A major goal of DISCOVER-AQ is determining the relative roles of sources, photochemistry and local meteorology during air quality events in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Surface characteristics, transport and vertical structures of O 3 during bay breezes were identified using in-situ surface, balloon and aircraft data, along with remote sensing equipment. Localized late day peaks in O 3 were observed during bay breeze days, maximizing an average of 3 h later compared to days without bay breezes. Of the 10 days of July 2011 that violated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 8 h O 3 standard of 75 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at Edgewood, eight exhibited evidence of a bay breeze circulation. The results indicate that while bay breezes and the processes associated with them are not necessary to cause exceedances in this area, bay breezes exacerbate poor air quality that sustains into the late evening hours at Edgewood. The vertical and horizontal distributions of O 3 from the coastal Edgewood area to the bay also show large gradients that are often determined by boundary layer stability. Thus, developing air quality models that can sufficiently resolve these dynamics and associated chemistry, along with more consistent monitoring of O 3 and meteorology on and along the complex coastline of Chesapeake Bay must be a high priority.

The impact of land and sea surface variations on the Delaware sea breeze at local scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Christopher P.

The summertime climate of coastal Delaware is greatly influenced by the intensity, frequency, and location of the local sea breeze circulation. Sea breeze induced changes in temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation influence many aspects of Delaware's economy by affecting tourism, farming, air pollution density, energy usage, and the strength, and persistence of Delaware's wind resource. The sea breeze front can develop offshore or along the coastline and often creates a near surface thermal gradient in excess of 5°C. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the dynamics of the Delaware sea breeze with a focus on the immediate coastline using observed and modeled components, both at high resolutions (~200m). The Weather Research and Forecasting model (version 3.5) was employed over southern Delaware with 5 domains (4 levels of nesting), with resolutions ranging from 18km to 222m, for June 2013 to investigate the sensitivity of the sea breeze to land and sea surface variations. The land surface was modified in the model to improve the resolution, which led to the addition of land surface along the coastline and accounted for recent urban development. Nine-day composites of satellite sea surface temperatures were ingested into the model and an in-house SST forcing dataset was developed to account for spatial SST variation within the inland bays. Simulations, which include the modified land surface, introduce a distinct secondary atmospheric circulation across the coastline of Rehoboth Bay when synoptic offshore wind flow is weak. Model runs using high spatial- and temporal-resolution satellite sea surface temperatures over the ocean indicate that the sea breeze landfall time is sensitive to the SST when the circulation develops offshore. During the summer of 2013 a field campaign was conducted in the coastal locations of Rehoboth Beach, DE and Cape Henlopen, DE. At each location, a series of eleven small, autonomous thermo-sensors (i-buttons) were placed along 1-km transects oriented perpendicular to the coastline where each sensor recorded temperatures at five-minute intervals. This novel approach allows for detailed characterization of the sea breeze front development over the immediate coastline not seen in previous studies. These observations provide evidence of significant variability in frontal propagation (advancing, stalling, and retrograding) within the first kilometer of the coast. Results from this observational study indicate that the land surface has the largest effect on the frontal location when the synoptic winds have a strong offshore component, which forces the sea breeze front to move slowly through the region. When this happens, the frequency of occurrence and sea breeze frontal speed decreases consistently across the first 500 m of Rehoboth Beach, after which, the differences become insignificant. At Cape Henlopen the decrease in intensity across the transect is much less evident and the reduction in frequency does not occur until after the front is 500 m from the coast. Under these conditions at Rehoboth Beach, the near surface air behind the front warms due to the land surface which, along with the large surface friction component of the urbanized land surface, causes the front to slow as it traverses the region. Observation and modeling results suggest that the influence of variations in the land and sea surface on the sea breeze circulation is complex and highly dependent on the regional synoptic wind regime. This result inspired the development of a sea breeze prediction algorithm using a generalized linear regression model which, incorporated real-time synoptic conditions to forecast the likelihood of a sea breeze front passing through a coastal station. The forecast skill increases through the morning hours after sunrise. The inland synoptic wind direction is the most influential variable utilized by the algorithm. Such a model could be enhanced to forecast local temperature with coonfidence, which could be useful in an economic or energy usage model.

Comparison of quadrant-specific breast cancer incidence trends in the United States and England between 1975 and 2013.

PubMed

Bright, C J; Rea, D W; Francis, A; Feltbower, R G

2016-10-01

UK breast cancer incidence rates suggest that upper outer quadrant (UOQ) cancers have risen disproportionately compared with other areas over time. We aimed to provide a comparison of the trend in quadrant-specific breast cancer incidence between the United States (US) and England, and determine whether a disproportionate UOQ increase is present. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data were obtained on 630,007 female breast cancers from 1975 to 2013. English cancer registry data were obtained on 1,121,134 female breast cancers from 1979 to 2013. Temporal incidence changes were analysed using negative binomial regression. Interaction terms determined whether incidence changes were similar between sites. English breast cancer incidence in the UOQ rose significantly from 13% to 28% from 1979 to 2013 whereas no significant increase was observed among SEER data. The significant interaction between quadrant and year of diagnosis (p<0.001) in both SEER and English data indicates that breast cancer incidence in each quadrant changed at a different rate. Incidence in the UOQ rose disproportionately compared to the nipple (SEER IRR=0.81, p<0.001; England IRR=0.78, p<0.001) and axillary tail (SEER IRR=0.87, p=0.018; England IRR=0.69, p<0.001) in both SEER and England. In addition, incidence rose disproportionately in the UOQ compared to non-site-specific tumours in England (Overlapping lesions IRR=0.81, p=0.002; NOS IRR=0.78, p<0.001). The proportion of non-site-specific tumours was substantially higher in England than SEER throughout the study period (62% in England; 39% in SEER). Breast cancer incidence in the UOQ increased disproportionately compared to non-site-specific tumours in England but not in SEER, likely due to the decrease in non-site-specific tumours observed in England over time. There may be real differences in incidence between the two countries, possibly due to differences in aetiology, but is much more likely to be an artefact of changing data collection methods and improvements in site coding in either country. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer Incidence Among Arab Americans in California, Detroit, and New Jersey SEER Registries

PubMed Central

Bergmans, Rachel; Ruterbusch, Julie; Meza, Rafael; Hirko, Kelly; Graff, John; Schwartz, Kendra

2014-01-01

Objectives. We calculated cancer incidence for Arab Americans in California; Detroit, Michigan; and New Jersey, and compared rates with non-Hispanic, non-Arab Whites (NHNAWs); Blacks; and Hispanics. Methods. We conducted a study using population-based data. We linked new cancers diagnosed in 2000 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) to an Arab surname database. We used standard SEER definitions and methodology for calculating rates. Population estimates were extracted from the 2000 US Census. We calculated incidence and rate ratios. Results. Arab American men and women had similar incidence rates across the 3 geographic regions, and the rates were comparable to NHNAWs. However, the thyroid cancer rate was elevated among Arab American women compared with NHNAWs, Hispanics, and Blacks. For all sites combined, for prostate and lung cancer, Arab American men had a lower incidence than Blacks and higher incidence than Hispanics in all 3 geographic regions. Arab American male bladder cancer incidence was higher than that in Hispanics and Blacks in these regions. Conclusions. Our results suggested that further research would benefit from the federal recognition of Arab Americans as a specified ethnicity to estimate and address the cancer burden in this growing segment of the population. PMID:24825237

Incidence and survival of sebaceous carcinoma in the United States.

PubMed

Tripathi, Raghav; Chen, Zhengyi; Li, Li; Bordeaux, Jeremy S

2016-12-01

Information on risk factors, epidemiology, and clinical characteristics of sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is limited. We sought to analyze trends in SC in the United States from 2000 through 2012. We used data from the 18 registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program from 2000 to 2012 to calculate the cause of death, relative frequencies/incidences, 5-/10-year Kaplan-Meier survival, hazard ratios, and incidence rates for SC. Each parameter was analyzed by age, location of occurrence (ocular/extraocular), race, sex, and SEER registry. Overall incidence was 0.32 (male) and 0.16 (female) per 100,000 person-years. Incidence significantly increased, primarily because of an increase among men. Incidence among whites was almost 3 times the rate among non-whites. Male sex (P < .0001), black race (P = .01), and extraocular anatomic location (P < .0001) were associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality. However, overall case-specific mortality for SC decreased significantly. Underregistration of patients in SEER registries, lack of verification of individual diagnoses, and low levels of staging data because of low stage-classification rate are limitations. The overall incidence of SC is increasing significantly. Male sex, black race, and extraocular occurrences are associated with significantly greater mortality. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends and variations in breast and colorectal cancer incidence from 1995 to 2011: a comparative study between Texas Cancer Registry and National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data.

PubMed

Liu, Zheyu; Zhang, Yefei; Franzin, Luisa; Cormier, Janice N; Chan, Wenyaw; Xu, Hua; Du, Xianglin L

2015-04-01

Few studies have examined the cancer incidence trends in the state of Texas, and no study has ever been conducted to compare the temporal trends of breast and colorectal cancer incidence in Texas with those of the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) in the United States. This study aimed to conduct a parallel comparison between the Texas Cancer Registry and the National Cancer Institute's SEER on cancer incidence from 1995 to 2011. A total of 951,899 breast and colorectal cancer patients were included. Age-adjusted breast cancer incidence was 134.74 per 100,000 in Texas and 131.78 per 100,000 in SEER in 1995-2011, whereas age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence was 50.52 per 100,000 in Texas and 49.44 per 100,000 in SEER. Breast cancer incidence increased from 1995 to 2001, decreased from 2002 to 2006, and then remained relatively stable from 2007 to 2011. For colorectal cancer, the incidence increased in 1995-1997, and then decreased continuously from 1998 to 2011 in Texas and SEER areas. Incidence rates and relative risks by age, gender and ethnicity were identical between Texas and SEER.

Trends and variations in breast and colorectal cancer incidence from 1995 to 2011: A comparative study between Texas Cancer Registry and National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data

PubMed Central

LIU, ZHEYU; ZHANG, YEFEI; FRANZIN, LUISA; CORMIER, JANICE N.; CHAN, WENYAW; XU, HUA; DU, XIANGLIN L.

2015-01-01

Few studies have examined the cancer incidence trends in the state of Texas, and no study has ever been conducted to compare the temporal trends of breast and colorectal cancer incidence in Texas with those of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) in the United States. This study aimed to conduct a parallel comparison between the Texas Cancer Registry and the National Cancer Institute’s SEER on cancer incidence from 1995 to 2011. A total of 951,899 breast and colorectal cancer patients were included. Age-adjusted breast cancer incidence was 134.74 per 100,000 in Texas and 131.78 per 100,000 in SEER in 1995–2011, whereas age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence was 50.52 per 100,000 in Texas and 49.44 per 100,000 in SEER. Breast cancer incidence increased from 1995 to 2001, decreased from 2002 to 2006, and then remained relatively stable from 2007 to 2011. For colorectal cancer, the incidence increased in 1995–1997, and then decreased continuously from 1998 to 2011 in Texas and SEER areas. Incidence rates and relative risks by age, gender and ethnicity were identical between Texas and SEER. PMID:25672365

Sea breezes and advective effects in southwest James Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckendry, Ian; Roulet, Nigel

1994-01-01

Observations from a transect extending 100 km inland during the Northern Wetlands Study (NOWES) in 1990 show that the sea breeze develops on approximately 25% of days during summer and may penetrate up to 100 km inland on occasions. The sea breeze exhibits a marked diurnal clockwise rotation as a result of the Coriolis effect along the unobstructed coastline. The marine advective effect is shown to depend on gradient wind direction. With northwesterly upper level flow the sea breeze tends to be northeasterly in direction and is associated with decreased temperatures and vapor pressure deficits (VPD). With southwesterly upper level flow the sea breeze tends to have a southeasterly direction and less effect on temperatures and VPD. This is attributed to shorter residence times of air parcels over water. For two cases, Colorado State University mesoscale model simulations show good agreement with surface wind observations and suggest that under northwesterly gradient flow, Bowen ratios are increased in the onshore flow along western James Bay, while during southwesterly gradient flow these effects are negligible. These results have implications for the interpretation of local climate, ecology, and hydrology as well as land-based and airborne turbulent flux measurements made during NOWES.

The inland boundary layer at low latitudes: II Sea-breeze influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.; Physick, W. L.

1985-11-01

Two-dimensional mesoscale model results support the claim of evening sea-breeze activity at Daly Waters, 280 km inland from the coast in northern Australia, the site of the Koorin boundary-layer experiment. The sea breeze occurs in conditions of strong onshore and alongshore geostrophic winds, not normally associated with such activity. It manifests itself at Daly Waters and in the model as a cooling in a layer 500 1000 m deep, as an associated surface pressure jump, as strong backing of the wind and, when an offshore low-level wind is present, as a collapse in the inland nocturnal jet. Both observational analysis and model results illustrate the rotational aspects of the deeply penetrating sea breeze; in our analysis this is represented in terms of a surge vector — the vector difference between the post- and pre-frontal low-level winds. There is further evidence to support earlier work that the sea breeze during the afternoon and well into the night — at least for these low-latitude experiments — behaves in many ways as an atmospheric gravity current, and that inland penetrations up to 500 km occur.

Vertical Structure of the Urban Boundary Layer over Marseille Under Sea-Breeze Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemonsu, Aude; Bastin, Sophie; Masson, Valéry; Drobinski, Philippe

2006-03-01

During the UBL-ESCOMPTE program (June July 2001), intensive observations were performed in Marseille (France). In particular, a Doppler lidar, located in the north of the city, provided radial velocity measurements on a 6-km radius area in the lowest 3 km of the troposphere. Thus, it is well adapted to document the vertical structure of the atmosphere above complex terrain, notably in Marseille, which is bordered by the Mediterranean sea and framed by numerous massifs. The present study focuses on the last day of the intensive observation period 2 (26 June 2001), which is characterized by a weak synoptic pressure gradient favouring the development of thermal circulations. Under such conditions, a complex stratification of the atmosphere is observed. Three-dimensional numerical simulations, with the Méso-NH atmospheric model including the town energy balance (TEB) urban parameterization, are conducted over south-eastern France. A complete evaluation of the model outputs was already performed at both regional and city scales. Here, the 250-m resolution outputs describing the vertical structure of the atmosphere above the Marseille area are compared to the Doppler lidar data, for which the spatial resolution is comparable. This joint analysis underscores the consistency between the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) observed by the Doppler lidar and that modelled by Méso-NH. The observations and simulations reveal the presence of a shallow sea breeze (SSB) superimposed on a deep sea breeze (DSB) above Marseille during daytime. Because of the step-like shape of the Marseille coastline, the SSB is organized in two branches of different directions, which converge above the city centre. The analysis of the 250-m wind fields shows evidence of the role of the local topography on the local dynamics. Indeed, the topography tends to reinforce the SSB while it weakens the DSB. The ABL is directly affected by the different sea-breeze circulations, while the urban effects appear to be negligible.

PUBLICATIONS; GULF BREEZE LABORATORY

EPA Science Inventory

The bibliography, inclusive from 1967 through 1978, lists all publications authored by researchers employed by the Environmental Research Laboratory, Gulf Breeze, and its field station on St. Johns Island, SC, or by researchers conducting studies under funding or direction of the...

Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Survival among Persons with Social Security Disability Insurance on Medicare

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Ellen P; Ngo, Long H; Chirikos, Thomas N; Roetzheim, Richard G; Li, Donglin; Drews, Reed E; Iezzoni, Lisa I

2007-01-01

Objective To examine stage at diagnosis and survival for disabled Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer under age 65 and compare their experiences with those of other persons diagnosed under age 65. Data Sources Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data and SEER-Medicare linked data for 1988–1999. SEER-11 Program includes 11 population-based tumor registries collecting information on all incident cancers in catchment areas. Tumor registry and Medicare data are linked for persons enrolled in Medicare. Study Design 307,595 incident cases of non-small cell lung (51,963), colorectal (52,092), breast (142,281), and prostate (61,259) cancer diagnosed in persons under age 65 from 1988 to 1999. Persons who qualified for Social Security Disability Insurance and had Medicare (SSDI/Medicare) were identified from Medicare enrollment files. Ordinal polychotomous logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate adjusted associations between disability status and later-stage diagnoses and mortality (all-cause and cancer-specific). Principal Findings Persons with SSDI/Medicare had lower rates of Stages III/IV diagnoses than others for lung (63.3 versus 69.5 percent) and prostate (25.5 versus 30.8 percent) cancers, but not for breast or colorectal cancers. After adjustment, they remained less likely to be diagnosed at later stages for lung and prostate cancers. Nevertheless, persons with SSDI/Medicare experienced higher all-cause mortality for each cancer. Cancer-specific mortality was higher among persons with SSDI/Medicare for breast and colorectal cancer patients. Conclusions Disabled Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with cancer at similar or earlier stages than others. However, they experience higher rates of cancer-related mortality when diagnosed at the same stage of breast and colorectal cancer. PMID:17362209

Development, Feasibility, and Small-Scale Implementation of a Web-Based Prognostic Tool—Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Cancer Survival Calculator

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Population datasets and the Internet are playing an ever-growing role in the way cancer information is made available to providers, patients, and their caregivers. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Cancer Survival Calculator (SEER*CSC) is a Web-based cancer prognostic tool that uses SEER data, a large population dataset, to provide physicians with highly valid, evidence-based prognostic estimates for increasing shared decision-making and improving patient-provider communication of complex health information. Objective The aim of this study was to develop, test, and implement SEER*CSC. Methods An iterative approach was used to develop the SEER*CSC. Based on input from cancer patient advocacy groups and physicians, an initial version of the tool was developed. Next, providers from 4 health care delivery systems were recruited to do formal usability testing of SEER*CSC. A revised version of SEER*CSC was then implemented in two health care delivery sites using a real-world clinical implementation approach, and usage data were collected. Post-implementation follow-up interviews were conducted with site champions. Finally, patients from two cancer advocacy groups participated in usability testing. Results Overall feedback of SEER*CSC from both providers and patients was positive, with providers noting that the tool was professional and reliable, and patients finding it to be informational and helpful to use when discussing their diagnosis with their provider. However, use during the small-scale implementation was low. Reasons for low usage included time to enter data, not having treatment options in the tool, and the tool not being incorporated into the electronic health record (EHR). Patients found the language in its current version to be too complex. Conclusions The implementation and usability results showed that participants were enthusiastic about the use and features of SEER*CSC, but sustained implementation in a real-world clinical setting faced significant challenges. As a result of these findings, SEER*CSC is being redesigned with more accessible language for a public facing release. Meta-tools, which put different tools in context of each other, are needed to assist in understanding the strengths and limitations of various tools and their place in the clinical decision-making pathway. The continued development and eventual release of prognostic tools should include feedback from multidisciplinary health care teams, various stakeholder groups, patients, and caregivers. PMID:28729232

Health Disparities Calculator (HD*Calc) - SEER Software

Cancer.gov

Statistical software that generates summary measures to evaluate and monitor health disparities. Users can import SEER data or other population-based health data to calculate 11 disparity measurements.

Cancer Registrar Training - SEER Registrars

Cancer.gov

View questions and answers about becoming a cancer registrar, plus training materials for cancer registration and surveillance, including SEER*Educate and information about an annual training event for advanced topics.

A numerical study of the effects of a large sandbar upon sea breeze development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessler, R. C.; Pielke, R. A.; Mcqueen, J.; Eppel, D.

1985-01-01

Two-dimensional numerical simulations of sea breeze development over a large sandbar on the North Sea coast of Germany are reported. The numerical model used in these experiments contains a detailed treatment of soil moisture, which allows evaluation of the effects of differential surface characteristics on the airflow pattern. Results of the simulations indicate that the contrast between the moist sandbar and adjacent dry land, the tidal inundation of the sandbar, and the westward penetration of the Baltic sea breeze play important roles in the development of mesoscale airflow patterns in the sandbar region.

Land- and sea-surface impacts on local coastal breezes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veron, D. E.; Hughes, C.; Gilchrist, J.; Lodise, J.; Goldman, W.

2014-12-01

The state of Delaware has seen significant increases in population along the coastline in the past three decades. With this increase in population have come changes to the land surface, as forest and farmland has been converted to residential and commercial purposes, causing changes in the surface roughness, temperature, and land-atmosphere fluxes. There is also a semi-permanent upwelling center in the spring and summer outside the Delaware Bay mouth that significantly changes the structure of the sea surface temperature both inside and outside the Bay. Through a series of high resolution modeling and observational studies, we have determined that in cases of strong synoptic forcing, the impact of the land-surface on the boundary layer properties can be advected offshore, creating a false coastline and modifying the location and timing of the sea breeze circulation. In cases of weak synoptic forcing, the influence of the upwelling and the tidal circulation of the Delaware Bay waters can greatly change the location, strength, and penetration of the sea breeze. Understanding the importance of local variability in the surface-atmosphere interactions on the sea breeze can lead to improved prediction of sea breeze onset, penetration, and duration which is important for monitoring air quality and developing offshore wind power production.

Inaccuracies in oral cavity-pharynx cancer coded as the underlying cause of death on U.S. death certificates, and trends in mortality rates (1999-2010).

PubMed

Polednak, Anthony P

2014-08-01

To enhance surveillance of mortality from oral cavity-pharynx cancer (OCPC) by considering inaccuracies in the cancer site coded as the underlying cause of death on death certificates vs. cancer site in a population-based cancer registry (as the gold standard). A database was used for 9 population-based cancer registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, including deaths in 1999-2010 for patients diagnosed in 1973-2010. Numbers of deaths and death rates for OCPC in the SEER population were modified for apparent inaccuracies in the cancer site coded as the underlying cause of death. For age groups <65 years, deaths from OCPC were underestimated by 22-35% by using unmodified (vs. modified) numbers, but temporal declines in death rates were still evident in the SEER population and were similar to declines using routine mortality data for the entire U.S. population. Deaths were underestimated by about 70-80% using underlying cause for tonsillar cancers, strongly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, but a lack of decline in death rates was still evident. Routine mortality statistics based on underlying cause of death underestimate OCPC deaths but demonstrate trends in OCPC death rates that require continued surveillance in view of increasing incidence rates for HPV-related OCPC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the feedback between aerosol and boundary layer processes: a case study in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Miao, Yucong; Liu, Shuhua; Zheng, Yijia; Wang, Shu

2016-02-01

Rapid development has led to frequent haze in Beijing. With mountains and sea surrounding Beijing, the pollution is found to be influenced by the mountain-plain breeze and sea-land breeze in complex ways. Meanwhile, the presence of aerosols may affect the surface energy balance and impact these boundary layer (BL) processes. The effects of BL processes on aerosol pollution and the feedback between aerosol and BL processes are not yet clearly understood. Thus, the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is used to investigate the possible effects and feedbacks during a haze episode on 23 September 2011. Influenced by the onshore prevailing wind, sea-breeze, and upslope breeze, about 45% of surface particulate matter (PM)2.5 in Beijing are found to be contributed by its neighbor cities through regional transport. In the afternoon, the development of upslope breeze suppresses the growth of BL in Beijing by imposing a relatively low thermal stable layer above the BL, which exacerbates the pollution. Two kinds of feedback during the daytime are revealed as follows: (1) as the aerosols absorb and scatter the solar radiation, the surface net radiation and sensible heat flux are decreased, while BL temperature is increased, resulting in a more stable and shallower BL, which leads to a higher surface PM2.5 concentration in the morning and (2) in the afternoon, as the presence of aerosols increases the BL temperature over plains, the upslope breeze is weakened, and the boundary layer height (BLH) over Beijing is heightened, resulting in the decrease of the surface PM2.5 concentration there.

Software Used to Generate Cancer Statistics - SEER Cancer Statistics

Cancer.gov

Videos that highlight topics and trends in cancer statistics and definitions of statistical terms. Also software tools for analyzing and reporting cancer statistics, which are used to compile SEER's annual reports.

78 FR 14530 - Combined Notice of Filings #2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Combined Notice of Filings 2 Take notice...-000. Applicants: Prairie Breeze Wind Energy LLC. Description: Notice of Self-Certification of Exempt Wholesale Generator Status of Prairie Breeze Wind Energy LLC. Filed Date: 2/27/13. Accession Number...

Gulf Breeze, FL Lab--Office of Research and Development

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Gulf Breeze lab is recognized as a leader in advancing scientific knowledge concerning the effects of human-made stressors on the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast, and the impacts of those effects on the health and well-being of people and communities.

Effect of sea breeze circulation on aerosol mixing state and radiative properties in a desert setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derimian, Yevgeny; Choël, Marie; Rudich, Yinon; Deboudt, Karine; Dubovik, Oleg; Laskin, Alexander; Legrand, Michel; Damiri, Bahaiddin; Koren, Ilan; Unga, Florin; Moreau, Myriam; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Karnieli, Arnon

2017-09-01

Chemical composition, microphysical, and optical properties of atmospheric aerosol deep inland in the Negev Desert of Israel are found to be influenced by daily occurrences of sea breeze flow from the Mediterranean Sea. Abrupt increases in aerosol volume concentration and shifts of size distributions towards larger sizes, which are associated with increase in wind speed and atmospheric water content, were systematically recorded during the summertime at a distance of at least 80 km from the coast. Chemical imaging of aerosol samples showed an increased contribution of highly hygroscopic particles during the intrusion of the sea breeze. Besides a significant fraction of marine aerosols, the amount of internally mixed marine and mineral dust particles was also increased during the sea breeze period. The number fraction of marine and internally mixed particles during the sea breeze reached up to 88 % in the PM1-2. 5 and up to 62 % in the PM2. 5-10 size range. Additionally, numerous particles with residuals of liquid coating were observed by SEM/EDX analysis. Ca-rich dust particles that had reacted with anthropogenic nitrates were evidenced by Raman microspectroscopy. The resulting hygroscopic particles can deliquesce at very low relative humidity. Our observations suggest that aerosol hygroscopic growth in the Negev Desert is induced by the daily sea breeze arrival. The varying aerosol microphysical and optical characteristics perturb the solar and thermal infrared radiations. The changes in aerosol properties induced by the sea breeze, relative to the background situation, doubled the shortwave radiative cooling at the surface (from -10 to -20.5 W m-2) and increased by almost 3 times the warming of the atmosphere (from 5 to 14 W m-2), as evaluated for a case study. Given the important value of observed liquid coating of particles, we also examined the possible influence of the particle homogeneity assumption on the retrieval of aerosol microphysical characteristics. The tests suggest that sensitivity to the coating appears if backward scattering and polarimetric measurements are available for the inversion algorithm. This may have an important implication for retrievals of aerosol microphysical properties in remote sensing applications.

A Coastal Bay Summer Breeze Study, Part 1: Results of the Quiberon 2006 Experimental Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mestayer, Patrice G.; Calmet, Isabelle; Herlédant, Olivier; Barré, Sophie; Piquet, Thibaud; Rosant, Jean-Michel

2018-04-01

The Quiberon 2006 experiment was launched to document the onset and development of land and sea breezes over a semi-circular coastal bay propitious to inshore sailing competitions. The measurements were taken during the 2 weeks of 16-28 June 2006. Micrometeorological variables were recorded at three shore sites around the bay using turbulence sensors on 10-30-m high masts, on four instrumented catamarans at selected sites within the bay, and at a fourth shore site with a Sodar. Synoptic data and local measurements are analyzed here from the point of view of both micrometeorologists and competition skippers, testing in particular the empirical rules of breeze veering and backing according to the wind direction with respect to the coastline orientation at the mesoscale (the quadrant theory). Our analysis focuses on the patterns of lower-altitude wind direction and speed around the bay and over the water basin, and the temporal variations during the periods of the breeze onset, establishment and thermal reinforcement. In offshore synoptic-flow conditions (quadrants 1 and 2), the clockwise rotation of the surface flow had a very large amplitude, reaching up to 360°. The breeze strength was negatively correlated to that of the synoptic wind speed. In conditions of onshore synoptic flow from the west (quadrant 3) at an angle to the mainland coast but perpendicular to the Quiberon peninsula, the rotation of the flow was backwards in the early morning and clockwise during the day with a moderate amplitude (40°-50°) around the synoptic wind direction. As the surface wind speed was much larger than the synoptic wind speed, such a case we have designated as a "synoptic breeze". The breeze onset was shown to fail several times under the influence of weak non-thermal events, e.g., the passage of an occluded front or clouds or an excess of convection. Finally, several local-scale influences of the complex coastal shape appeared in our measurements, e.g., wind fanning in the lee of the isthmus and airflow skirting around the peninsula forehand.

On the use of GPS tomography to investigate water vapor variability during a Mistral/sea breeze event in southeastern France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastin, Sophie; Champollion, Cédric; Bock, Olivier; Drobinski, Philippe; Masson, Frédéric

2005-03-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) tomography analyses of water vapor, complemented by high-resolution numerical simulations are used to investigate a Mistral/sea breeze event in the region of Marseille, France, during the ESCOMPTE experiment. This is the first time GPS tomography has been used to validate the three-dimensional water vapor concentration from numerical simulation, and to analyze a small-scale meteorological event. The high spatial and temporal resolution of GPS analyses provides a unique insight into the evolution of the vertical and horizontal distribution of water vapor during the Mistral/sea-breeze transition.

Breast-cancer-specific mortality in patients treated based on the 21-gene assay: a SEER population-based study.

PubMed

Petkov, Valentina I; Miller, Dave P; Howlader, Nadia; Gliner, Nathan; Howe, Will; Schussler, Nicola; Cronin, Kathleen; Baehner, Frederick L; Cress, Rosemary; Deapen, Dennis; Glaser, Sally L; Hernandez, Brenda Y; Lynch, Charles F; Mueller, Lloyd; Schwartz, Ann G; Schwartz, Stephen M; Stroup, Antoinette; Sweeney, Carol; Tucker, Thomas C; Ward, Kevin C; Wiggins, Charles; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Penberthy, Lynne; Shak, Steven

2016-01-01

The 21-gene Recurrence Score assay is validated to predict recurrence risk and chemotherapy benefit in hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) invasive breast cancer. To determine prospective breast-cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) outcomes by baseline Recurrence Score results and clinical covariates, the National Cancer Institute collaborated with Genomic Health and 14 population-based registries in the the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to electronically supplement cancer surveillance data with Recurrence Score results. The prespecified primary analysis cohort was 40-84 years of age, and had node-negative, HR+, HER2-negative, nonmetastatic disease diagnosed between January 2004 and December 2011 in the entire SEER population, and Recurrence Score results ( N =38,568). Unadjusted 5-year BCSM were 0.4% ( n =21,023; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.3-0.6%), 1.4% ( n =14,494; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7%), and 4.4% ( n =3,051; 95% CI, 3.4-5.6%) for Recurrence Score <18, 18-30, and ⩾31 groups, respectively ( P <0.001). In multivariable analysis adjusted for age, tumor size, grade, and race, the Recurrence Score result predicted BCSM ( P <0.001). Among patients with node-positive disease (micrometastases and up to three positive nodes; N =4,691), 5-year BCSM (unadjusted) was 1.0% ( n =2,694; 95% CI, 0.5-2.0%), 2.3% ( n =1,669; 95% CI, 1.3-4.1%), and 14.3% ( n =328; 95% CI, 8.4-23.8%) for Recurrence Score <18, 18-30, ⩾31 groups, respectively ( P <0.001). Five-year BCSM by Recurrence Score group are reported for important patient subgroups, including age, race, tumor size, grade, and socioeconomic status. This SEER study represents the largest report of prospective BCSM outcomes based on Recurrence Score results for patients with HR+, HER2-negative, node-negative, or node-positive breast cancer, including subgroups often under-represented in clinical trials.

SEER*Explorer

Cancer.gov

This interactive website provides access to cancer statistics (rates and trends) for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, stage, and histology. Users can create custom graphs and tables, download data and images, download SEER*Stat sessions, and share results.

Identification of the Sea-Land Breeze Event and Influence to the Convective Activities on the Coast of Deli Serdang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saragih, I. J. A.; Putra, A. W.; Nugraheni, I. R.; Rinaldy, N.; Yonas, B. W.

2017-12-01

Located close to the sea indicates that there are influences of the sea-land breeze circulation on the weather condition in Deli Serdang. The purpose of this study is to simulate sea-land breeze occurrence and its influence on the convective activities in Deli Serdang. The research area covers the area of Deli Serdang Regency and the surrounding ocean region in the coordinates 02°57‧-03°16‧N & 98°33‧-99°27‧E where Kualanamu Meteorological Station is the centre of the research area at coordinate 03°34‧N & 98°44‧E and the elevation about 27MAMSL. The research time is a day with the highest rainfall in the highest peak rainy month. The raw data consist of the Himawari-8 satellite image from BMKG, FNL (Final Analysis) data from http://rda.ucar.edu, and meteorological observation data from Kualanamu Meteorology Station. This study indicates that WRF-ARW can simulate the sea-land breeze occurrence on the coast of Deli Serdang well. The existence of the convective index cover in the convergence area proves the sea-land breeze occurred in the coast of Deli Serdang can form the convergence area as the interacted result with the wind from other directions that support convective activities.

Impacts of the land-lake breeze of the Volta reservoir on the diurnal cycle of cloudiness and precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchholz, Marcel; Fink, Andreas H.; Knippertz, Peter; Yorke, Charles

2017-04-01

Lake Volta in Ghana is the artificial lake on Earth with the largest surface area (8502 km2). It has been constructed in the early 1960s, with the lake being filled around 1966. Land-lake breezes and their effects on the diurnal cycle of local wind systems, cloudiness, and precipitation have been studied for several tropical lakes, among which studies on the effects of Lake Victoria in East Africa are one of the most perceived ones. To date, no studies on the strengths and effects of the land-lake breeze of the Volta reservoir are known to the authors. Using surface station data, a variety of satellite data on clouds and precipitation, and a convection-resolving regional model, the land-lake breeze and its impacts were studied for Lake Volta between 1998 and 2015. The observational data sets confirm a significant land-lake circulation. The only manned weather station operated by the Ghana Meteorological Service that is situated at the lake is Kete Krachi. Hourly observations for 2006 and 2014 show on several days a clearing of skies in the afternoon associated with a shift in the surface winds from southwest to southeast, the latter potentially indicating a lake breeze effect. Cloud occurrence frequency derived from the CLARA-A2, MODIS, and CLAAS2 cloud masks and the cloud physical properties from CLAAS2 clearly show the development of clouds at the lake breeze front in the course of the morning and around mid-day. This effect is most pronounced in March when also the difference between the surface temperatures of the lake and the desiccated land surface is strongest. During the peak of the wet season in July, the lake breeze cloudiness is masked by a high background cloudiness and likely also weaker due to the strong southwesterly monsoon flow that tends to weaken the land-lake circulation. However, the precipitation signal was found to be strongest in July, most probably due to the fact that in boreal fall, winter and spring, the lake breeze cloudiness often fails to develop into afternoon showers or thunderstorms, or if, they are short-lived with substantial below-cloud evaporation. Two cases in 2007 and 2014 were synoptically analyzed with weather charts and modeled using the COSMO model, the current regional operational weather forecasting model of the German Weather Service (DWD). The COSMO experiments with and without the lake were integrated for 48 hours at convection-resolving resolution of 2.8 km. Initial and boundary conditions were taken from ECWMF operational analysis. Model results confirm the development of the daytime lake breeze and suggest that the existence of the lake has substantially changed the local circulation, cloudiness and precipitation regime. Our results imply a significant impact of the artificial lake on the local climate and ecosystems that warrants further study.

78 FR 39062 - Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel SEA BREEZE 27; Invitation for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-28

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Maritime Administration [Docket No. MARAD-2013 0079] Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel SEA BREEZE 27; Invitation for Public Comments AGENCY....gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As described by the applicant the intended service of the vessel SEA...

Standard Populations (Millions) for Age-Adjustment - SEER Population Datasets

Cancer.gov

Download files containing standard population data for use in statististical software. The files contain the same data distributed with SEER*Stat software. You can also view the standard populations, either 19 age groups or single ages.

Evaluation of the 29-km Eta Model for Weather Support to the United States Space Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manobianco, John; Nutter, Paul

1997-01-01

The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) conducted a year-long evaluation of NCEP's 29-km mesoscale Eta (meso-eta) weather prediction model in order to identify added value to forecast operations in support of the United States space program. The evaluation was stratified over warm and cool seasons and considered both objective and subjective verification methodologies. Objective verification results generally indicate that meso-eta model point forecasts at selected stations exhibit minimal error growth in terms of RMS errors and are reasonably unbiased. Conversely, results from the subjective verification demonstrate that model forecasts of developing weather events such as thunderstorms, sea breezes, and cold fronts, are not always as accurate as implied by the seasonal error statistics. Sea-breeze case studies reveal that the model generates a dynamically-consistent thermally direct circulation over the Florida peninsula, although at a larger scale than observed. Thunderstorm verification reveals that the meso-eta model is capable of predicting areas of organized convection, particularly during the late afternoon hours but is not capable of forecasting individual thunderstorms. Verification of cold fronts during the cool season reveals that the model is capable of forecasting a majority of cold frontal passages through east central Florida to within +1-h of observed frontal passage.

New Opportunities for Cancer Health Services Research: Linking the SEER-Medicare Data to the Nursing Home Minimum Data Set.

PubMed

Thomas, Kali S; Boyd, Eric; Mariotto, Angela B; Penn, Dolly C; Barrett, Michael J; Warren, Joan L

2018-02-02

The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data combine clinical information from population-based cancer registries with Medicare claims. These data have been used in many studies to understand cancer screening, treatment, outcomes, and costs. However, until recently, these data included limited information related to the characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients residing in or admitted to nursing homes. To provide an overview of the new linkage between SEER-Medicare data and the Minimum Data Set (MDS), a nursing home resident assessment instrument detailing residents' physical, psychological, and psychosocial functioning as well as any therapies or treatments received. This is a descriptive, retrospective cohort study. Persons in SEER-Medicare diagnosed with cancer from 2004 to 2013 were linked to the 2011-2014 MDS, with 17% of SEER-Medicare patients linked to the MDS data. During 2011-2014, we identified 318,617 cancer patients receiving care in a nursing home and 256,947 cancer patients newly admitted to a total of 10,953 nursing homes. Of these patients, approximately two thirds were Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The timing from cancer diagnoses to nursing home admission varied by cancer. In total, 93% of all patients were admitted directly to a nursing home from an acute care hospital. The majority of patients were cognitively intact, 21% reported some level of depression, and 9% had severe functional limitations. The new SEER-Medicare-MDS dataset provides a valuable resource for understanding the postacute and long-term care experiences of cancer patients receiving care in United States' nursing homes.

Summary Staging Manual 2000 - SEER

Cancer.gov

Access this manual of codes and coding instructions for the summary stage field for cases diagnosed 2001-2017. 2000 version applies to every anatomic site. It uses all information in the medical record. Also called General Staging, California Staging, and SEER Staging.

MindSeer: a portable and extensible tool for visualization of structural and functional neuroimaging data

PubMed Central

Moore, Eider B; Poliakov, Andrew V; Lincoln, Peter; Brinkley, James F

2007-01-01

Background Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of multimodality neuroimaging data provides a powerful technique for viewing the relationship between structure and function. A number of applications are available that include some aspect of 3-D visualization, including both free and commercial products. These applications range from highly specific programs for a single modality, to general purpose toolkits that include many image processing functions in addition to visualization. However, few if any of these combine both stand-alone and remote multi-modality visualization in an open source, portable and extensible tool that is easy to install and use, yet can be included as a component of a larger information system. Results We have developed a new open source multimodality 3-D visualization application, called MindSeer, that has these features: integrated and interactive 3-D volume and surface visualization, Java and Java3D for true cross-platform portability, one-click installation and startup, integrated data management to help organize large studies, extensibility through plugins, transparent remote visualization, and the ability to be integrated into larger information management systems. We describe the design and implementation of the system, as well as several case studies that demonstrate its utility. These case studies are available as tutorials or demos on the associated website: . Conclusion MindSeer provides a powerful visualization tool for multimodality neuroimaging data. Its architecture and unique features also allow it to be extended into other visualization domains within biomedicine. PMID:17937818

Soil Moisture, Coastline Curvature, and Sea Breeze Initiated Precipitation Over Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, R. David; Lynn, Barry H.; Boone, Aaron; Tao, Wei-Kuo

1999-01-01

Land surface-atmosphere interaction plays a key role in the development of summertime convection and precipitation over the Florida peninsula. Land-ocean temperature contrasts induce sea-breeze circulations along both coasts. Clouds develop along sea-breeze fronts, and significant precipitation can occur during the summer months. However, other factors such as soil moisture distribution and coastline curvature may modulate the timing, location, and intensity of sea breeze initiated precipitation. Here, we investigate the role of soil moisture and coastline curvature on Florida precipitation using the 3-D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) cloud model coupled with the Parameterization for Land-Atmosphere-Cloud Exchange (PLACE) land surface model. This study utilizes data from the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CaPE) collected on 27 July 1991. Our numerical simulations suggest that a realistic distribution of soil moisture influences the location and intensity of precipitation but not the timing of precipitation. In contrast, coastline curvature affects the timing and location of precipitation but has little influence on peak rainfall rates. However, both factors (soil moisture and coastline curvature) are required to fully account for observed rainfall amounts.

Summary Stage 2018 - SEER

Cancer.gov

Access this manual of codes and coding instructions for the summary stage field for cases diagnosed January 1, 2018 and forward. 2018 version applies to every site and/or histology combination, including lymphomas and leukemias. Historically, also called General Staging, California Staging, and SEER Staging.

Risk of cardiac death among cancer survivors in the United States: a SEER database analysis.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-09-01

Population-based data on the risk of cardiac death among cancer survivors are needed. This scenario was evaluated in cancer survivors (>5 years) registered within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The SEER database was queried using SEER*Stat to determine the frequency of cardiac death compared to other causes of death; and to determine heart disease-specific and cancer-specific survival rates in survivors of each of the 10 most common cancers in men and women in the SEER database. For cancer-specific survival rate, the highest rates were related to thyroid cancer survivors; while the lowest rates were related to lung cancer survivors. For heart disease-specific survival rate, the highest rates were related to thyroid cancer survivors; while the lowest rates were related to both lung cancer survivors and urinary bladder cancer survivors. The following factors were associated with a higher likelihood of cardiac death: male gender, old age at diagnosis, black race and local treatment with radiotherapy rather than surgery (P < 0.0001 for all parameters). Among cancer survivors (>5 years), cardiac death is a significant cause of death and there is a wide variability among different cancers in the relative importance of cardiac death vs. cancer-related death.

Calibration and Validation of the COCOMO II.1997.0 Cost/Schedule Estimating Model to the Space and Missile Systems Center Database

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

Daly chose five models (REVIC, PRICE-S, SEER, System-4, and SPQR /20) to estimate schedule for 21 separate projects from the Electronic System Division...PRICE-S, two variants of COCOMO, System-3, SPQR /20, SASET, SoftCost-Ada) to 11 eight Ada specific programs. Ada was specifically designed for and is

A morning transition case between the land and the sea breeze regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Maria A.; Simó, Gemma; Wrenger, Burkhard; Telisman-Prtenjak, Maja; Guijarro, Jose A.; Cuxart, Joan

2015-04-01

To better understand the diurnal cycle of the Sea-Breeze (SB) in the island of Mallorca, during September 2013 the Mallorca Sea Breeze experimental field campaign (MSB13) took place in the Campos basin (located in the south side of the island). Measurements in the lower boundary layer (captive balloon and multicopter) and close to the surface were taken in a site close to the coast (500m inland). In this work an observed morning transition of the SB is further analysed through the observations and a high-resolution mesoscale simulation of this selected case. With the combined inspection of model results and observations, it is found that during the night-time the air flows out of the island: a land-breeze is found near the coast and downslope winds at the mountain slopes. After sunrise and during the previous phase (0600-0800 UTC) the temperature difference between land and sea is reduced meanwhile the wind has the land-breeze direction. During the preparatory phase (0800-1000 UTC) the land surface temperature is warmer than the sea and the wind weakens and veers towards the SB direction. Finally, during the development phase (1000-1200 UTC) the SB front propagates through the center of the Campos basin to the end of the basin, enhanced by the mountain upslope winds. Therefore, the radiative warming stops. The temperature, momentum and TKE budgets are used to understand the most relevant physical processes involved in each of the phases.

Impact of Bay-Breeze Circulations on Surface Air Quality and Boundary Layer Export

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loughner, Christopher P.; Tzortziou, Maria; Follette-Cook, Melanie; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Goldberg, Daniel; Satam, Chinmay; Weinheimer, Andrew; Crawford, James H.; Knapp, David J.; Montzka, Denise D.;

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Apte, Michael G.; Norman, Bourassa; Faulkner, David

An improved HVAC system for portable classrooms was specified to address key problems in existing units. These included low energy efficiency, poor control of and provision for adequate ventilation, and excessive acoustic noise. Working with industry, a prototype improved heat pump air conditioner was developed to meet the specification. A one-year measurement-intensive field-test of ten of these IHPAC systems was conducted in occupied classrooms in two distinct California climates. These measurements are compared to those made in parallel in side by side portable classrooms equipped with standard 10 SEER heat pump air conditioner equipment. The IHPAC units were found tomore » work as designed, providing predicted annual energy efficiency improvements of about 36 percent to 42 percent across California's climate zones, relative to 10 SEER units. Classroom ventilation was vastly improved as evidenced by far lower indoor minus outdoor CO2 concentrations. TheIHPAC units were found to provide ventilation that meets both California State energy and occupational codes and the ASHRAE minimum ventilation requirements; the classrooms equipped with the 10 SEER equipment universally did not meet these targets. The IHPAC system provided a major improvement in indoor acoustic conditions. HVAC system generated background noise was reduced in fan-only and fan and compressor modes, reducing the nose levels to better than the design objective of 45 dB(A), and acceptable for additional design points by the Collaborative on High Performance Schools. The IHPAC provided superior ventilation, with indoor minus outdoor CO2 concentrations that showed that the Title 24 minimum ventilation requirement of 15 CFM per occupant was nearly always being met. The opposite was found in the classrooms utilizing the 10 SEER system, where the indoor minus outdoor CO2 concentrations frequently exceeded levels that reflect inadequate ventilation. Improved ventilation conditions in the IHPAC lead to effective removal of volatile organic compounds and aldehydes, on average lowering the concentrations by 57 percent relative to the levels in the 10 SEER classrooms. The average IHPAC to 10 SEER formaldehyde ratio was about 67 percent, indicating only a 33 percent reduction of this compound in indoor air. The IHPAC thermal control system provided less variability in occupied classroom temperature than the 10 SEER thermostats. The average room temperatures in all seasons tended to be slightly lower in the IHPAC classrooms, often below the lower limit of the ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort band. State-wide and national energy modeling provided conservative estimates of potential energy savings by use of the IHPAC system that would provide payback a the range of time far lower than the lifetime of the equipment. Assuming electricity costs of $0.15/kWh, the perclassroom range of savings is from about $85 to $195 per year in California, and about $89 to $250 per year in the U.S., depending upon the city. These modelsdid not include the non-energy benefits to the classrooms including better air quality and acoustic conditions that could lead to improved health and learning in school. Market connection efforts that were part of the study give all indication that this has been a very successful project. The successes include the specification of the IHPAC equipment in the CHPS portable classroom standards, the release of a commercial product based on the standards that is now being installed in schools around the U.S., and the fact that a public utility company is currently considering the addition of the technology to its customer incentive program. These successes indicate that the IHPAC may reach its potential to improve ventilation and save energy in classrooms.« less

Survival Analyses and Prognosis of Plasma Cell Myeloma and Plasmacytoma-Like Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Aaron S.; Ruthazer, Robin; Paulus, Jessica K.; Kent, David M.; Evens, Andrew M.; Klein, Andreas K.

2016-01-01

Background Multiple myeloma/plasmacytoma-like post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD-MM) is a rare complication of solid organ transplant. Case series have shown variable outcomes and survival data in the modern era are lacking. Methods A cohort of 212 PTLD-MM patients was identified in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients between 1999-2011. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the effects of treatment and patient characteristics on OS evaluated with Cox proportional hazards models. OS in 185 PTLD-MM patients was compared with 4048 matched controls with multiple myeloma (SEER-MM) derived from SEER. Results Men comprised 71% of patients; extramedullary disease was noted in 58%. Novel therapeutic agents were used in 19% of patients (more commonly 2007-2011 versus 1999-2006 (P=0.01)), reduced immunosuppression in 55%, and chemotherapy in 32%. Median OS was 2.4 years, and improved in the later time period (aHR 0.64, P=0.05). Advanced age, creatinine>2, Caucasian race and use of OKT3 were associated with inferior OS in multivariable analysis. OS of PTLD-MM is significantly inferior to SEER-MM patients (aHR 1.6, p<0.001). Improvements in OS over time differed between PTLD-MM and SEER-MM. Median OS of patients diagnosed 2000-2005 was shorter for PTLD-MM than SEER-MM patients (18 vs 47 months P<0.001). There was no difference among those diagnosed 2006-2010 (44 mo vs median not reached P=0.5) (interaction P=0.08). Conclusions Age at diagnosis, elevated creatinine, Caucasian race and OKT3 were associated with inferior survival in patients with PTLD-MM. Survival of PTLD-MM is inferior to SEER-MM, though significant improvements in survival have been documented. PMID:27771291

The health care experience of patients with cancer during the last year of life: Analysis of the SEER-CAHPS data set.

PubMed

Halpern, Michael T; Urato, Matthew P; Kent, Erin E

2017-01-01

Providing high-quality medical care for individuals with cancer during their last year of life involves a range of challenges. An important component of high-quality care during this critical period is ensuring optimal patient satisfaction. The objective of the current study was to assess factors influencing health care ratings among individuals with cancer within 1 year before death. The current study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data set, a new data resource linking patient-reported information from the CAHPS Medicare Survey with clinical information from the National Cancer Institute's SEER program. The study included 5102 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer who completed CAHPS between 1998 and 2011 within 1 year before their death. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between patient demographic and insurance characteristics with 9 measures of health care experience. Patients with higher general or mental health status were significantly more likely to indicate excellent experience with nearly all measures examined. Sex, race/ethnicity, and education also were found to be significant predictors for certain ratings. Greater time before death predicted an increased likelihood of higher ratings for health plan and specialist physician. Clinical characteristics were found to have few significant associations with experience of care. Individuals in fee-for-service Medicare plans (vs Medicare Advantage) had a greater likelihood of excellent experience with health plans, getting care quickly, and getting needed care. Among patients with cancer within 1 year before death, experience with health plans, physicians, and medical care were found to be associated with sociodemographic, insurance, and clinical characteristics. These findings provide guidance for the development of programs to improve the experience of care among individuals with cancer. Cancer 2017;123:336-344. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Analysis of Stage and Clinical/Prognostic Factors for Lung Cancer from SEER Registries: AJCC Staging and Collaborative Stage Data Collection System

PubMed Central

Chen, Vivien W.; Ruiz, Bernardo A.; Hsieh, Mei-Chin; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Ries, Lynn; Lewis, Denise R.

2014-01-01

Introduction The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition introduced major changes in the staging of lung cancer, including Tumor (T), Node (N), Metastasis (M) (TNM) system and new stage/prognostic site-specific factors (SSFs), collected under the Collaborative Stage Version 2 (CSv2) Data Collection System. The intent was to improve the stage precision which could guide treatment options and ultimately lead to better survival. This report examines stage trends, the change in stage distributions from the AJCC 6th to the 7th edition, and findings of the prognostic SSFs for 2010 lung cancer cases. Methods Data were from the November 2012 submission of 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program population-based registries. A total of 344 797 cases of lung cancer, diagnosed in 2004–2010, were analyzed. Results The percentages of small tumors and early stage lung cancer cases increased from 2004 to 2010. The AJCC 7th edition, implemented for 2010 diagnosis year, subclassified tumor size and reclassified multiple tumor nodules, pleural effusions, and involvement of tumors in the contralateral lung, resulting in a slight decrease in stage IB and stage IIIB and a small increase in stage IIA and stage IV. Overall about 80% of cases remained the same stage group in AJCC 6th and 7th editions. About 21% of lung cancer patients had separate tumor nodules in the ipsilateral (same) lung, and 23% of the surgically resected patients had visceral pleural invasion, both adverse prognostic factors. Conclusion It is feasible for high quality population-based registries such as the SEER Program to collect more refined staging and prognostic SSFs that allows better categorization of lung cancer patients with different clinical outcomes and to assess their survival. PMID:25412390

Land Breeze and Thermals: A Scale Threshold to Distinguish Their Effects

Treesearch

Yongqiang Liu

2005-01-01

Land breeze is a type of mesoscale circulation developed due to thermal forcing over a heterogeneous landscape. It can contribute to atmospheric dynamic and hydrologic processes through affecting heat and water fluxes on the land-atmosphere interface and generating shallow convective precipitation. If the scale of the landscape heterogeneity is smaller than a certain...

OpinionSeer: interactive visualization of hotel customer feedback.

PubMed

Wu, Yingcai; Wei, Furu; Liu, Shixia; Au, Norman; Cui, Weiwei; Zhou, Hong; Qu, Huamin

2010-01-01

The rapid development of Web technology has resulted in an increasing number of hotel customers sharing their opinions on the hotel services. Effective visual analysis of online customer opinions is needed, as it has a significant impact on building a successful business. In this paper, we present OpinionSeer, an interactive visualization system that could visually analyze a large collection of online hotel customer reviews. The system is built on a new visualization-centric opinion mining technique that considers uncertainty for faithfully modeling and analyzing customer opinions. A new visual representation is developed to convey customer opinions by augmenting well-established scatterplots and radial visualization. To provide multiple-level exploration, we introduce subjective logic to handle and organize subjective opinions with degrees of uncertainty. Several case studies illustrate the effectiveness and usefulness of OpinionSeer on analyzing relationships among multiple data dimensions and comparing opinions of different groups. Aside from data on hotel customer feedback, OpinionSeer could also be applied to visually analyze customer opinions on other products or services.

Diurnal Course of Evaporation From the Dead Sea in Summer: A Distinct Double Peak Induced by Solar Radiation and Night Sea Breeze

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lensky, N. G.; Lensky, I. M.; Peretz, A.; Gertman, I.; Tanny, J.; Assouline, S.

2018-01-01

Partitioning between the relative effects of the radiative and aerodynamic components of the atmospheric forcing on evaporation is challenging since diurnal distributions of wind speed and solar radiation typically overlap. The Dead Sea is located about a 100 km off the Eastern Mediterranean coast, where and the Mediterranean Sea breeze front reaches it after sunset. Therefore, in the Dead Sea the peaks of solar radiation and wind speed diurnal cycles in the Dead Sea are distinctly separated in time, offering a unique opportunity to distinguish between their relative impacts on evaporation. We present mid-summer eddy covariance and meteorological measurements of evaporation rate and surface energy fluxes over the Dead Sea. The evaporation rate is characterized by a clear diurnal cycle with a daytime peak, few hours after solar radiation peak, and a nighttime peak coincident with wind speed peak. Evaporation rate is minimum during sunrise and sunset. Measurements of evaporation rate from two other water bodies that are closer to the Mediterranean coast, Eshkol Reservoir, and Lake Kinneret, present a single afternoon peak, synchronous with the sea breeze. The inland diurnal evaporation rate cycle varies with the distance from the Mediterranean coast, following the propagation of sea breeze front: near the coast, wind speed, and radiation peaks are close and consequently a single daily evaporation peak appears in the afternoon; at the Dead Sea, about a 100 km inland, the sea breeze front arrives at sunset, resulting in a diurnal evaporation cycle characterized by a distinct double peak.

Utilizing TRMM to Analyze Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Patterns During El Nino Southern Oscillations and Their Effects upon Available Fresh Water for South Florida Agricultural Planning and Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooley, Clayton; Billiot, Amanda; Lee, Lucas; McKee, Jake

2010-01-01

Water is in high demand for farmers regardless of where you go. Unfortunately, farmers in southern Florida have fewer options for water supplies than public users and are often limited to using available supplies from surface and ground water sources which depend in part upon variable weather patterns. There is an interest by the agricultural community about the effect weather has on usable surface water, however, research into viable weather patterns during La Nina and El Nino has yet to be researched. Using rainfall accumulation data from NASA Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite, this project s purpose was to assess the influence of El Nino and La Nina Oscillations on sea breeze thunderstorm patterns, as well as general rainfall patterns during the summer season in South Florida. Through this research we were able to illustrate the spatial and temporal variations in rainfall accumulation for each oscillation in relation to major agricultural areas. The study period for this project is from 1998, when TRMM was first launched, to 2009. Since sea breezes in Florida typically occur in the months of May through October, these months were chosen to be the months of the study. During this time, there were five periods of El Nino and two periods of La Nina, with a neutral period separating each oscillation. In order to eliminate rainfall from systems other than sea breeze thunderstorms, only days that were conducive to the development of a sea breeze front were selected.

Registrar Staging Assistant (SEER*RSA) - SEER

Cancer.gov

Use this site for cases diagnosed 2018 and forward to code Extent of Disease 2018, Summary Stage 2018, Site-Specific Data Items, and Grade. Use it for 2016 and 2017 cases to determine UICC TNM 7th edition stage, Collaborative Stage v.02.05.50, and Site-Specific predictive and prognostic factors.

Multidisciplinary clinic approach improves overall survival outcomes of patients with metastatic germ-cell tumors.

PubMed

Albany, C; Adra, N; Snavely, A C; Cary, C; Masterson, T A; Foster, R S; Kesler, K; Ulbright, T M; Cheng, L; Chovanec, M; Taza, F; Ku, K; Brames, M J; Hanna, N H; Einhorn, L H

2018-02-01

To report our experience utilizing a multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) at Indiana University (IU) since the publication of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG), and to compare our overall survival (OS) to that of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with metastatic germ-cell tumor (GCT) seen at IU from 1998 to 2014. A total of 1611 consecutive patients were identified, of whom 704 patients received an initial evaluation by our MDC (including medical oncology, pathology, urology and thoracic surgery) and started first-line chemotherapy at IU. These 704 patients were eligible for analysis. All patients in this cohort were treated with cisplatin-etoposide-based combination chemotherapy. We compared the progression-free survival (PFS) and OS of patients treated at IU with that of the published IGCCCG cohort. OS of the IU testis cancer primary cohort (n = 622) was further compared with the SEER data of 1283 patients labeled with 'distant' disease. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate PFS and OS. With a median follow-up of 4.4 years, patients with good, intermediate, and poor risk disease by IGCCCG criteria treated at IU had 5-year PFS of 90%, 84%, and 54% and 5-year OS of 97%, 92%, and 73%, respectively. The 5-year PFS for all patients in the IU cohort was 79% [95% confidence interval (CI) 76% to 82%]. The 5-year OS for the IU cohort was 90% (95% CI 87% to 92%). IU testis cohort had 5-year OS 94% (95% CI 91% to 96%) versus 75% (95% CI 73% to 78%) for the SEER 'distant' cohort between 2000 and 2014, P-value <0.0001. The MDC approach to GCT at high-volume cancer center associated with improved OS outcomes in this contemporary dataset. OS is significantly higher in the IU cohort compared with the IGCCCG and SEER 'distant' cohort. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Outcomes after diagnosis of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome before 30 years of age: a population-based study.

PubMed

Ai, Weiyun Z; Keegan, Theresa H; Press, David J; Yang, Juan; Pincus, Laura B; Kim, Youn H; Chang, Ellen T

2014-07-01

Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome (MF/SS) are rare in children and young adults, and thus the incidence and outcomes in this patient population are not well studied. To assess the incidence and outcomes of MF/SS in patients diagnosed before 30 years of age. Retrospective study of 2 population-based cancer registries-the California Cancer Registry (n = 204) and 9 US cancer registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER 9; n = 195)-for patients diagnosed with MF/SS before 30 years of age. Overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The risk of a second cancer was assessed by calculating the standard incidence ratio (SIR) comparing observed cancer incidence in patients with MF/SS with the expected incidence in the age-, sex-, and race-standardized general population. The incidence of MF/SS is rare before 30 years of age, with an incidence rate of 0.05 per 100,000 persons per year before age 20 years and 0.12 per 100,000 persons per year between ages 20 and 29 years in the California Cancer Registry. At 10 years, patients with MF/SS had an overall survival of 94.3% (95% CI, 89.6%-97.2%) in the California Cancer Registry and 88.9% (95% CI, 82.4%-93.2%) in SEER 9. In SEER 9, there was a significant excess risk of all types of second cancers combined (SIR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.55-6.45), particularly lymphoma (SIR, 12.86; 95% CI, 2.65-37.59) and melanoma (SIR, 9.31; 95% CI, 8.75-33.62). In the California Cancer Registry, the SIR for risk of all types of second cancers was similar to that in SEER 9 (SIR, 3.45; 95% CI, 0.94-8.83), although not statistically significant. Young patients with MF/SS have a favorable outcome, despite a strong suggestion of an increased risk of second primary cancers. Prolonged follow-up is warranted to definitively assess their risk of developing second cancers in a lifetime.

Breast-cancer-specific mortality in patients treated based on the 21-gene assay: a SEER population-based study

PubMed Central

Petkov, Valentina I; Miller, Dave P; Howlader, Nadia; Gliner, Nathan; Howe, Will; Schussler, Nicola; Cronin, Kathleen; Baehner, Frederick L; Cress, Rosemary; Deapen, Dennis; Glaser, Sally L; Hernandez, Brenda Y; Lynch, Charles F; Mueller, Lloyd; Schwartz, Ann G; Schwartz, Stephen M; Stroup, Antoinette; Sweeney, Carol; Tucker, Thomas C; Ward, Kevin C; Wiggins, Charles; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Penberthy, Lynne; Shak, Steven

2016-01-01

The 21-gene Recurrence Score assay is validated to predict recurrence risk and chemotherapy benefit in hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) invasive breast cancer. To determine prospective breast-cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) outcomes by baseline Recurrence Score results and clinical covariates, the National Cancer Institute collaborated with Genomic Health and 14 population-based registries in the the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to electronically supplement cancer surveillance data with Recurrence Score results. The prespecified primary analysis cohort was 40–84 years of age, and had node-negative, HR+, HER2-negative, nonmetastatic disease diagnosed between January 2004 and December 2011 in the entire SEER population, and Recurrence Score results (N=38,568). Unadjusted 5-year BCSM were 0.4% (n=21,023; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.3–0.6%), 1.4% (n=14,494; 95% CI, 1.1–1.7%), and 4.4% (n=3,051; 95% CI, 3.4–5.6%) for Recurrence Score <18, 18–30, and ⩾31 groups, respectively (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis adjusted for age, tumor size, grade, and race, the Recurrence Score result predicted BCSM (P<0.001). Among patients with node-positive disease (micrometastases and up to three positive nodes; N=4,691), 5-year BCSM (unadjusted) was 1.0% (n=2,694; 95% CI, 0.5–2.0%), 2.3% (n=1,669; 95% CI, 1.3–4.1%), and 14.3% (n=328; 95% CI, 8.4–23.8%) for Recurrence Score <18, 18–30, ⩾31 groups, respectively (P<0.001). Five-year BCSM by Recurrence Score group are reported for important patient subgroups, including age, race, tumor size, grade, and socioeconomic status. This SEER study represents the largest report of prospective BCSM outcomes based on Recurrence Score results for patients with HR+, HER2-negative, node-negative, or node-positive breast cancer, including subgroups often under-represented in clinical trials. PMID:28721379

Ambient air emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and female breast cancer incidence in US.

PubMed

Stults, William Parker; Wei, Yudan

2018-05-05

To examine ambient air pollutants, specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a factor in the geographic variation of breast cancer incidence seen in the US, we conducted an ecological study involving counties throughout the US to examine breast cancer incidence in relation to PAH emissions in ambient air. Age-adjusted incidence rates of female breast cancer from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program of the US National Cancer Institute were collected and analyzed using SEER*Stat 8.3.2. PAH emissions data were obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency. Linear regression analysis was performed using SPSS 23 software for Windows to analyze the association between PAH emissions and breast cancer incidence, adjusting for potential confounders. Age-adjusted incidence rates of female breast cancer were found being significantly higher in more industrialized metropolitan SEER regions over the years of 1973-2013 as compared to less industrialized regions. After adjusting for sex, race, education, socioeconomic status, obesity, and smoking prevalence, PAH emission density was found to be significantly associated with female breast cancer incidence, with the adjusted β of 0.424 (95% CI 0.278, 0.570; p < 0.0001) for emissions from all sources and of 0.552 (95% CI 0.278, 0.826; p < 0.0001) for emissions from traffic source. This study suggests that PAH exposure from ambient air could play a role in the increased breast cancer risk among women living in urban areas of the US. Further research could provide insight into breast cancer etiology and prevention.

Solar breeze power package and saucer ship

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veazey, S. E.

1985-11-12

A solar breeze power package having versatile sail and windmast options useful both on land and sea and especially useful in the saucer ship type design. The Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) of the several Darrieus designs in conjunction with roll-up or permanently mounted solar cells combine in a hybrid or are used separately to provide power to a battery bank or other storage device.

Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems (STARS)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-25

Tmeline(3), SECOMO(3), SEER(3), GSFC Software Engineering Lab Model(l), SLIM(4), SEER-SEM(l), SPQR (2), PRICE-S(2), internally-developed models(3), APMSS(1...3 " Timeline - 3 " SASET (Software Architecture Sizing Estimating Tool) - 2 " MicroMan 11- 2 * LCM (Logistics Cost Model) - 2 * SPQR - 2 * PRICE-S - 2

Central nervous system tumours among adolescents and young adults (15-39 years) in Southern and Eastern Europe: Registration improvements reveal higher incidence rates compared to the US.

PubMed

Georgakis, Marios K; Panagopoulou, Paraskevi; Papathoma, Paraskevi; Tragiannidis, Athanasios; Ryzhov, Anton; Zivkovic-Perisic, Snezana; Eser, Sultan; Taraszkiewicz, Łukasz; Sekerija, Mario; Žagar, Tina; Antunes, Luis; Zborovskaya, Anna; Bastos, Joana; Florea, Margareta; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Strahinja, Rajko M; Sfakianos, Georgios; Nikas, Ioannis; Kosmidis, Sofia; Razis, Evangelia; Pourtsidis, Apostolos; Kantzanou, Maria; Dessypris, Nick; Petridou, Eleni Th

2017-11-01

To present incidence of central nervous system (CNS) tumours among adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 15-39 years) derived from registries of Southern and Eastern Europe (SEE) in comparison to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), US and explore changes due to etiological parameters or registration improvement via evaluating time trends. Diagnoses of 11,438 incident malignant CNS tumours in AYAs (1990-2014) were retrieved from 14 collaborating SEE cancer registries and 13,573 from the publicly available SEER database (1990-2012). Age-adjusted incidence rates (AIRs) were calculated; Poisson and joinpoint regression analyses were performed for temporal trends. The overall AIR of malignant CNS tumours among AYAs was higher in SEE (28.1/million) compared to SEER (24.7/million). Astrocytomas comprised almost half of the cases in both regions, albeit the higher proportion of unspecified cases in SEE registries (30% versus 2.5% in SEER). Similar were the age and gender distributions across SEE and SEER with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3 and an overall increase of incidence by age. Increasing temporal trends in incidence were documented in four SEE registries (Greater Poland, Portugal North, Turkey-Izmir and Ukraine) versus an annual decrease in Croatia (-2.5%) and a rather stable rate in SEER (-0.3%). This first report on descriptive epidemiology of AYAs malignant CNS tumours in the SEE area shows higher incidence rates as compared to the United States of America and variable temporal trends that may be linked to registration improvements. Hence, it emphasises the need for optimisation of cancer registration processes, as to enable the in-depth evaluation of the observed patterns by disease subtype. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Malignancies in children and young adults on etanercept: summary of cases from clinical trials and post marketing reports.

PubMed

Hooper, Michele; Wenkert, Deborah; Bitman, Bojena; Dias, Virgil C; Bartley, Yessenia

2013-10-02

Malignancy risk may be increased in chronic inflammatory conditions that are mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but the role of TNF in human cancer biology is unclear. In response to a 2011 United States Food & Drug Administration requirement of TNF blocker manufacturers, we evaluated reporting rates of all malignancies in patients =30 years old who received the TNF blocker etanercept. All malignancies in etanercept-exposed patients aged =30 years from the Amgen clinical trial database (CTD) and postmarketing global safety database (PMD) were reviewed. PMD reporting rates were generated using exposure information based on commercial sources. Age-specific incidence rates of malignancy for the general US population were generated from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database v7.0.9. There were 2 malignancies in the CTD: 1 each in etanercept and placebo/comparator arms (both in patients 18-30 years old). Postmarketing etanercept exposure was 231,404 patient-years (62,379 patient-years in patients 0-17 years; 168,485 patient-years in patients 18-30 years). Reporting rates of malignancy per 100,000 patient-years in the PMD and incidence rates in SEER were 32.0 and 15.9, respectively, for patients 0-17 years and 46.9 and 42.1 for patients 18-30 years old. Reporting rates were higher than SEER incidence rates for Hodgkin lymphoma in the 0-17 years age group. PMD reporting rates per 100,000 patient-years and SEER incidence rates per 100,000 person-years for Hodgkin lymphoma were 9.54 and 0.9, respectively, for patients 0-17 years and 1.8 and 4.2 for patients 18-30 years old. There were =5 cases of leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, thyroid, and cervical cancers. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, thyroid cancer, and cervical cancer rates were similar in the PMD and SEER. Overall PMD malignancy reporting rates in etanercept-treated patients 0-17 years appeared higher than incidence rates in SEER, attributable to rates of Hodgkin lymphoma. Comparison to patients with similar burden of disease cannot be made; JIA, particularly very active disease, may be a risk factor for lymphoma. No increased malignancy reporting rate in the PMD relative to SEER was observed in the young-adult age group.

Field testing of two electronic mobility aid devices for persons who are deaf-blind.

PubMed

Vincent, Claude; Routhier, François; Martel, Valérie; Mottard, Marie-Ève; Dumont, Frédéric; Côté, Lise; Cloutier, Danielle

2014-09-01

To test a methodology for assessing the effects of electronic mobility aid devices (EMAD) on the mobility of persons who are deaf-blind in real-life situations. A single-subject desing was done with four users followed in a program for persons who are deaf-blind. Participants were trained to use two commercial EMADs: the Miniguide and the Breeze. The Canadian Measure of Occupational Performance (CMOP) was administered before training (T1), after training (T2) and three months later (T3). The Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology (QUEST) was administered at T2 and T3. A follow-up interview was conducted with the participants and clinicians at T3 to evaluate the benefits of the EMAD and any problems. CMOP suggests that both performance and satisfaction improved following the use of both EMADs in four occupations (functional mobility, active leisure, community life and socialization). QUEST indicates high satisfaction with eight items except for one participant. Follow-up interviews revealed a wide variety of perceptions regarding EMAD use and seven problems although CMOP and QUEST indicated good satisfaction. A high satisfaction score on QUEST does not necessarily imply that an assistive device is efficient in all circumstances; follow-up interviews provided important complementary information. For people who are deaf-blind The Miniguide is reliable for detecting obstacles (vibrations are sent as a warning when approaching an obstacle). It is often used to know if taking the right route. It identifies entrances or openings (indicated by the vibrations stopping when pointing at a wall), which can replace the echo-location for blind persons with hearing impairments. The Miniguide helped to locate overhanging objects which are not detectable with a long cane. The Breeze can record landmarks for orientation and it possible to use those landmarks to go back alone later after taking a certain route for the first time with someone else. It helps to familiarize the person with new places. It can tell you where you are at any time. It helps with orientation and the participant also liked this feature because it helped with learning street names. The Miniguide and the Breeze were not efficient in all circumstances; there were some problems with the ergonomic (both), detecting snow banks (Miniguide), sensitiveness to the surroundings in crowded places (Miniguide) and exactitude for geo-localization (Breeze).

Mesoscale model response to random, surface-based perturbations — A sea-breeze experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.; Pielke, R. A.; Miller, W. F.; Lee, T. J.

1990-09-01

The introduction into a mesoscale model of random (in space) variations in roughness length, or random (in space and time) surface perturbations of temperature and friction velocity, produces a measurable, but barely significant, response in the simulated flow dynamics of the lower atmosphere. The perturbations are an attempt to include the effects of sub-grid variability into the ensemble-mean parameterization schemes used in many numerical models. Their magnitude is set in our experiments by appeal to real-world observations of the spatial variations in roughness length and daytime surface temperature over the land on horizontal scales of one to several tens of kilometers. With sea-breeze simulations, comparisons of a number of realizations forced by roughness-length and surface-temperature perturbations with the standard simulation reveal no significant change in ensemble mean statistics, and only small changes in the sea-breeze vertical velocity. Changes in the updraft velocity for individual runs, of up to several cms-1 (compared to a mean of 14 cms-1), are directly the result of prefrontal temperature changes of 0.1 to 0.2K, produced by the random surface forcing. The correlation and magnitude of the changes are entirely consistent with a gravity-current interpretation of the sea breeze.

The role of refinery flaring events and bay breezes on a high surface ozone episode during the Houston, Texas DISCOVER-AQ field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loughner, C.; Follette-Cook, M. B.; Fried, A.; Pickering, K. E.

2015-12-01

The highest observed surface ozone concentrations in the Houston metropolitan area in 2013 occurred on September 25, which coincided with the Texas DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field campaign. Surface ozone was elevated throughout the Houston metropolitan area with maximum 8-hour average ozone peaking along the western shore of Galveston Bay, reaching 124 ppbv, almost 50 ppbv above the current EPA standard of 75 ppbv. The NASA P-3B aircraft observed plumes from refinery flares west and northwest of Galveston Bay that were transported over the water. Continental air pollution from the north was transported into the Houston metropolitan area where it mixed with locally generated emissions. A bay breeze circulation formed causing pollutants that were transported out over the water in the morning to recirculate back inland where they mixed with freshly emitted pollution near the bay breeze convergence zone. The highest surface ozone concentrations were reported near the bay breeze front. This ozone episode will be presented using measurements made during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign and a CMAQ model simulation with integrated source apportionment, which tracks the contribution of emissions source groups and regions on ozone concentrations.

The influence of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Florida panhandle sea breeze

USGS Publications Warehouse

Misra, Vasubandhu; Moeller, Lauren; Stefanova, Lydia; Chan, Steven; O'Brien, James J.; Smith, Thomas J.; Plant, Nathaniel

2011-01-01

In this paper we examine the variations of the boreal summer season sea breeze circulation along the Florida panhandle coast from relatively high resolution (10 km) regional climate model integrations. The 23 year climatology (1979–2001) of the multidecadal dynamically downscaled simulations forced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–Department of Energy (NCEP-DOE) Reanalysis II at the lateral boundaries verify quite well with the observed climatology. The variations at diurnal and interannual time scales are also well simulated with respect to the observations. We show from composite analyses made from these downscaled simulations that sea breezes in northwestern Florida are associated with changes in the size of the Atlantic Warm Pool (AWP) on interannual time scales. In large AWP years when the North Atlantic Subtropical High becomes weaker and moves further eastward relative to the small AWP years, a large part of the southeast U.S. including Florida comes under the influence of relatively strong anomalous low-level northerly flow and large-scale subsidence consistent with the theory of the Sverdrup balance. This tends to suppress the diurnal convection over the Florida panhandle coast in large AWP years. This study is also an illustration of the benefit of dynamic downscaling in understanding the low-frequency variations of the sea breeze.

Technical Report from Grant Recipient - City of Redlands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giorgianni, Kathleen Margaret

2016-05-26

The goals and objectives of the HVAC upgrades are to replace equipment as old as twenty-three (23) years in five different facilities. The project will upgrade some facilities from SEER ratings of 9 to SEER ratings of 14 at a savings of 556 kilowatt hours per ton (savings depends on specific size of the system).

Urbanization in Zambia. An International Urbanization Survey Report to the Ford Foundation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmance, Alan J. F.

This report reviews the "Seers Report," which contained policy guidelines for modern development planning in Zambia, and compares its findings to recent findings during the period 1963-1970. The Seers Report found that Zambia was the most urbanized country in Africa south of the Sahara (excluding South Africa). This report finds that…

Coding completeness and quality of relative survival-related variables in the National Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System, 1995-2008.

PubMed

Wilson, Reda J; O'Neil, M E; Ntekop, E; Zhang, Kevin; Ren, Y

2014-01-01

Calculating accurate estimates of cancer survival is important for various analyses of cancer patient care and prognosis. Current US survival rates are estimated based on data from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End RESULTS (SEER) program, covering approximately 28 percent of the US population. The National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) covers about 96 percent of the US population. Using a population-based database with greater US population coverage to calculate survival rates at the national, state, and regional levels can further enhance the effective monitoring of cancer patient care and prognosis in the United States. The first step is to establish the coding completeness and coding quality of the NPCR data needed for calculating survival rates and conducting related validation analyses. Using data from the NPCR-Cancer Surveillance System (CSS) from 1995 through 2008, we assessed coding completeness and quality on 26 data elements that are needed to calculate cancer relative survival estimates and conduct related analyses. Data elements evaluated consisted of demographic, follow-up, prognostic, and cancer identification variables. Analyses were performed showing trends of these variables by diagnostic year, state of residence at diagnosis, and cancer site. Mean overall percent coding completeness by each NPCR central cancer registry averaged across all data elements and diagnosis years ranged from 92.3 percent to 100 percent. RESULTS showing the mean percent coding completeness for the relative survival-related variables in NPCR data are presented. All data elements but 1 have a mean coding completeness greater than 90 percent as was the mean completeness by data item group type. Statistically significant differences in coding completeness were found in the ICD revision number, cause of death, vital status, and date of last contact variables when comparing diagnosis years. The majority of data items had a coding quality greater than 90 percent, with exceptions found in cause of death, follow-up source, and the SEER Summary Stage 1977, and SEER Summary Stage 2000. Percent coding completeness and quality are very high for variables in the NPCR-CSS that are covariates to calculating relative survival. NPCR provides the opportunity to calculate relative survival that may be more generalizable to the US population.

Quality assessment of lymph node sampling in rhabdomyosarcoma: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program study.

PubMed

Lobeck, Inna; Dupree, Phylicia; Karns, Rebekah; Rodeberg, David; von Allmen, Daniel; Dasgupta, Roshni

2017-04-01

Lymph node sampling is integral in the management of extremity and paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The aim of this study was to determine overall surgical compliance with treatment protocols and impact of nodal sampling outcomes in these tumors. A query of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program (SEER) database was performed from 2003 to 2008 for patients <19years of age with RMS. Data obtained included demographics, five-year survival and rate of nodal sampling. Analysis was performed utilizing chi-squared, Kaplan-Meier and hazard ratio modeling. Of 537 patients with extremity RMS, nodal sampling was performed in 25.7% (n=138). This lack of nodal sampling had a negative outcome on survival (p=0.004). Sixty five patients with paratesticular RMS aged greater than 10 were identified and also displayed low rates of lymph node sampling (47.7%, n=31). For paratesticular patients, a similar increase in survival was seen in patients who underwent nodal evaluation (p=0.024). Lymph node sampling is the standard of care in RMS. However, surgical compliance with treatment protocols is poor. Nodal evaluation correlated significantly with overall survival. These findings suggest a need for improved education among surgeons and oncologists regarding the need lymph node assessment in pediatric oncology patients. Evidence rating/classification: Prognosis study, Level III. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in prostate cancer treatment associated with population density of the county of residence.

PubMed

Cary, C; Odisho, A Y; Cooperberg, M R

2016-06-01

We sought to assess variation in the primary treatment of prostate cancer by examining the effect of population density of the county of residence on treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer and quantify variation in primary treatment attributable to the county and state level. A total 138 226 men with clinically localized prostate cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) database in 2005 through 2008 were analyzed. The main association of interest was between prostate cancer treatment and population density using multilevel hierarchical logit models while accounting for the random effects of counties nested within SEER regions. To quantify the effect of county and SEER region on individual treatment, the percent of total variance in treatment attributable to county of residence and SEER site was estimated with residual intraclass correlation coefficients. Men with localized prostate cancer in metropolitan counties had 23% higher odds of being treated with surgery or radiation compared with men in rural counties, controlling for number of urologists per county as well as clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Three percent (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-6.2%) of the total variation in treatment was attributable to SEER site, while 6% (95% CI: 4.3-9.0%) of variation was attributable to county of residence, adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Variation in treatment for localized prostate cancer exists for men living in different population-dense counties of the country. These findings highlight the importance of comparative effectiveness research to improve understanding of this variation and lead to a reduction in unwarranted variation.

Analysis of Delayed Sea Breeze Onset for Fort Ord Prescribed Burning Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Gahmberg et al. (2009) provided additional detail to the synoptic flow through the Coriolis effect . All directions are as seen from the sea with...ambient flows left of the offshore direction providing the strongest opposing winds as Coriolis effects provide additional support in the offshore...support the development of the sea breeze due to Coriolis effects , the mesoscale flow at the surface is quite different. The 1600 UTC through 1900

The properties of coke breeze briquettes produced by ram briquetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loginov, Yu. N.; Babailov, N. A.; Polyansky, L. I.

2017-12-01

The paper reports on the results of briquetting coke breeze with a binder in a closed cylindrical press-die. Liquid glass is used as a binder. Approximating curves for the "compaction ratio vs. compaction pressure" dependences are plotted from experimental data. The mechanical properties of the briquettes are determined, namely, drop damage resistance and breaking stress. The results are presented as approximating dependences in the form of a power function.

A breeze-driven current on sloped littoral waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tohidi, A.; Jamali, M.

2017-12-01

Various natural phenomena, e. g. uniform/non-uniform solar radiation and diurnal cycles, affect water circulation patterns through aquatic canopies, that is (usually shallow) shorelines of the rivers, lakes, and lagoons. Amongst these factors is vegetation that, plays a crucial role in conserving and dispersing the nutrients, oxygen, temperature, and generally regulating the life and interactions of organisms with each other (ecology) in aquatic canopies. So far, however, very little attention has been paid to the effects of very low, breeze-like, winds over the water surface in these vegetated regions. In this exploratory study, the evolution of a breeze-driven gravity current traveling up the slope towards the shorelines is shown, experimentally. The flow is characterized using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. In addition, a detailed dimensional analysis of the parameter space of the phenomenon is conducted. The results strongly corroborate the experimental observations.

Early estimates of SEER cancer incidence, 2014.

PubMed

Lewis, Denise Riedel; Chen, Huann-Sheng; Cockburn, Myles G; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Stroup, Antoinette M; Midthune, Douglas N; Zou, Zhaohui; Krapcho, Martin F; Miller, Daniel G; Feuer, Eric J

2017-07-01

Cancer incidence rates and trends for cases diagnosed through 2014 using data reported to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program in February 2016 and a validation of rates and trends for cases diagnosed through 2013 and submitted in February 2015 using the November 2015 submission are reported. New cancer sites include the pancreas, kidney and renal pelvis, corpus and uterus, and childhood cancer sites for ages birth to 19 years inclusive. A new reporting delay model is presented for these estimates for more consistent results with the model used for the usual November SEER submissions, adjusting for the large case undercount in the February submission. Joinpoint regression methodology was used to assess trends. Delay-adjusted rates and trends were checked for validity between the February 2016 and November 2016 submissions. Validation revealed that the delay model provides similar estimates of eventual counts using either February or November submission data. Trends declined through 2014 for prostate and colon and rectum cancer for males and females, male and female lung cancer, and cervical cancer. Thyroid cancer and liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer increased. Pancreas (male and female) and corpus and uterus cancer demonstrated a modest increase. Slight increases occurred for male kidney and renal pelvis, and for all childhood cancer sites for ages birth to 19 years. Evaluating early cancer data submissions, adjusted for reporting delay, produces timely and valid incidence rates and trends. The results of the current study support using delay-adjusted February submission data for valid incidence rate and trend estimates over several data cycles. Cancer 2017;123:2524-34. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Clinical correlates and prognostic value of different metastatic sites in patients with malignant melanoma of the skin: a SEER database analysis.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2018-03-01

Population-based data on the clinical correlates and prognostic value of the pattern of metastases among patients with cutaneous melanoma are needed. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2010-2013) has been explored through SEER*Stat program. For each of six distant metastatic sites (bone, brain, liver, lung, distant lymph nodes, and skin/subcutaneous), relevant correlation with baseline characteristics were reported. Survival analysis has been conducted through Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariate analysis has been conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 2691 patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma were identified in the period from 2010 to 2013. Patients with isolated skin/subcutaneous metastases have the best overall and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) followed by patients with isolated distant lymph node metastases followed by patients with isolated lung metastases. Patients with isolated liver, bone, or brain metastases have the worst overall and MSS (p < .0001 for both end points). Multivariate analysis revealed that age more than 70 at diagnosis (p = .012); multiple sites of metastases (p <.0001), no surgery to the primary tumor (p <.0001), and no surgery to the metastatic disease (p < .0001) were associated with worse overall survival (OS). For MSS, nodal positivity (p = .038), multiple sites of metastases (p < .0001), no surgery to the primary tumor (p < .0001), and no surgery to the metastatic disease (p < .0001) were associated with worse survival. The prognosis of metastatic cutaneous melanoma patients differs considerably according to the site of distant metastases. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate the role of local treatment in the management of metastatic disease.

Conditional Survival in Pediatric Malignancies: Analysis of data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program

PubMed Central

Mertens, Ann C; Yong, Jian; Dietz, Andrew; Kreiter, Erin; Yasui, Yutaka; Bleyer, Archie; Armstrong, Gregory T; Robison, Leslie L; Wasilewski-Masker, Karen

2015-01-01

Background Long-term survivors of pediatric cancer are at risk for life-threatening late effects of their cancer. Previous studies have shown excesses in long-term mortality within high-risk groups defined by demographic and treatment characteristics. Methods To investigate conditional survival in a pediatric cancer population, we performed an analysis of conditional survival in the original Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) cohort and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database registry. The overall probability of death for patients in 5 years and 10 years after they survived 5, 10, 15, and 20 years since cancer diagnosis, and cause-specific death in 10 years for 5-year survivors were estimated using the cumulative incidence method. Results Among CCSS and SEER patients who were alive 5 years post cancer diagnosis, within each diagnosis group at least 92% are alive in the subsequent 5 years, except leukemia patients of whom only 88% of 5-year survivors remain alive in the subsequent 5 years. The probability of all-cause mortality in the next 10 years on patients who survived at least 5 years after diagnosis, was 8.8% in CCSS and 10.6% in SEER, approximately three quarter of which were due to neoplasms as causes of death. Conclusion The risk of death of pediatric cancer survivors in 10 years can vary between diagnosis groups by at most 12% even up to 20 years post diagnosis. This information is clinically important in counseling patients on their conditional survival, particularly when survivors are seen in long-term follow-up. PMID:25557134

The effect of local circulations on the variation of atmospheric pollutants in the northwestern Taiwan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pay-Liam Lin; Hsin-Chih Lai

1996-12-31

A field experiment was held in the northwestern Taiwan as a part of a long-term research program for studying Taiwan`s local circulation. The program has been named as Taiwan Regional-circulation Experiment (TREX). The particular goal of this research is to investigate characteristics of boundary layer and local Circulation and their impact on the distribution and Variation of pollutants in the northwestern Taiwan during Mei-Yu season. It has been known for quite sometime that land-sea breeze is very pronounced under hot and humid conditions. Extensive network includes 11 pilot ballon stations, 3 acoustic sounding sites, and 14 surface stations in aboutmore » 20 km by 20 km area centered at National Central University, Chung-Li. In addition, there are ground temperature measurements at 3 sites, Integrated Sounding System (ISS) at NCU, air plane observation, tracer experiment with 10 collecting stations, 3 background upper-air sounding stations, 2 towers etc. NOAA and GMS satellite data, sea surface temperature radar, and precipitation data are collected. The local circulations such as land/sea breezes and mountain/valley winds, induced by thermal and topographical effects often play an important role in transporting, redistributing and transforming atmospheric pollutants. This study documents the effects of the development of local circulations and the accompanying evolution of boundary layer on the distribution and the variation of the atmospheric pollutants in the north western Taiwan during Mei-Yu season.« less

Evaluation of the atmospheric model WRF on the Qatar peninsula for a converging sea-breeze event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balan Sobhana, Sandeepan; Nayak, Sashikant; Panchang, Vijay

2016-04-01

Qatar, a narrow peninsula covering an area of 11437 sq km, extends northwards into the Arabian Gulf for about 160km and has a maximum width of 88km. The convex shape of the coast-line and narrowness of the peninsula results in the Qatar region experiencing complex wind patterns. The geometry is favorable for formation of the land-sea breeze from both coastal sides of the peninsula. This can lead to the development of sea breeze convergence zones in the middle of the country. Although circulations arising from diurnal thermal contrast of land and water are amongst most intensively studied meteorological phenomena, there is no reported study for the Qatar peninsula and very few studies are reported for the Arabian Gulf region as whole. It is necessary to characterize the wind field for applications such as assessing air pollution, renewable energy etc. A non-hydrostatic mesoscale model, Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) with a nested high resolution grid permits the investigation of such fine scale phenomena. Data from eighteen land based Automated Weather Stations (AWS) and two offshore buoys deployed and maintained by the Qatar Meteorological Department were analyzed. Based on the analysis a clear case of sea breeze convergence were seen on 18 September 2015. Model simulations were used to investigate the synoptic conditions associated with the formation of this event. The season is characterized by week ambient north westerly wind over the Arabian Gulf. The WRF model performance is validated using observed in-situ data. Model simulations show that vertical extent of sea breeze cell was up to 1 km and the converging sea breeze regions were characterized with high vertical velocities. The WRF simulation also revealed that with high resolution, the model is capable of reproducing the fine scale patterns accurately. The error of predictions in the inner domain (highest resolution) are found to be relatively lower than coarse resolution domain. The maximum wind speed were of the order of 9 m/s. The period of convergence lasted approximately for about 8 hours (with maximum intensity about 2 PM local time).The model winds compared favorably for all the 18 AWS stations, with better match seen for the offshore locations.

Malignancies in children and young adults on etanercept: summary of cases from clinical trials and post marketing reports

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Malignancy risk may be increased in chronic inflammatory conditions that are mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but the role of TNF in human cancer biology is unclear. In response to a 2011 United States Food & Drug Administration requirement of TNF blocker manufacturers, we evaluated reporting rates of all malignancies in patients ≤30 years old who received the TNF blocker etanercept. Methods All malignancies in etanercept-exposed patients aged ≤30 years from the Amgen clinical trial database (CTD) and postmarketing global safety database (PMD) were reviewed. PMD reporting rates were generated using exposure information based on commercial sources. Age-specific incidence rates of malignancy for the general US population were generated from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database v7.0.9. Results There were 2 malignancies in the CTD: 1 each in etanercept and placebo/comparator arms (both in patients 18–30 years old). Postmarketing etanercept exposure was 231,404 patient-years (62,379 patient-years in patients 0–17 years; 168,485 patient-years in patients 18–30 years). Reporting rates of malignancy per 100,000 patient-years in the PMD and incidence rates in SEER were 32.0 and 15.9, respectively, for patients 0–17 years and 46.9 and 42.1 for patients 18–30 years old. Reporting rates were higher than SEER incidence rates for Hodgkin lymphoma in the 0-17 years age group. PMD reporting rates per 100,000 patient-years and SEER incidence rates per 100,000 person-years for Hodgkin lymphoma were 9.54 and 0.9, respectively, for patients 0–17 years and 1.8 and 4.2 for patients 18–30 years old. There were ≥5 cases of leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, thyroid, and cervical cancers. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, thyroid cancer, and cervical cancer rates were similar in the PMD and SEER. Conclusions Overall PMD malignancy reporting rates in etanercept-treated patients 0–17 years appeared higher than incidence rates in SEER, attributable to rates of Hodgkin lymphoma. Comparison to patients with similar burden of disease cannot be made; JIA, particularly very active disease, may be a risk factor for lymphoma. No increased malignancy reporting rate in the PMD relative to SEER was observed in the young-adult age group. PMID:24225257

Investigation of the Mesoscale Interaction between the Sea Breeze Circulation and the Sandhills Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sims, Aaron P.

In the Carolinas of the United States, there are two key land-surface features over which convective precipitation often forms during the summer months. These geomorphic features are the Sandhills and coastline. Along the coastline, sea-breeze circulations regularly form and are known to initiate convection. The Sandhills is a transitional zone of sandy soil surrounded by mixture of soils that include clay and loam. It extends through the central part of the Carolinas and into Georgia and is also the origin of convective storms. The two geographical features, the coastline and the Sandhills, are in regional proximity of each other and the resultant sea-breeze front and the Sandhills convection interact during summer. During this research, the investigation of the mechanism of interaction between these two features has led to the discovery of the Sandhills front, a shallow outflow density current that develops from deep convection over the Sandhills and propagates eastward toward the coast. The convergence of the Sandhills front and the sea-breeze front initiates and enhances convection between the Sandhills and the coastline. Observations during the month of June for the period 2004 to 2015 are used to evaluate the interaction between these two phenomena. On average, these interactions occur on approximately 24% of all days in June and on 36% of all days in June when synoptic scale systems are absent. Thus, the interactions between the sea-breeze and the Sandhills circulations do contribute to the precipitation in this region. Background wind speeds and directions influence the location and the strength of convection associated with this interaction. Onshore, offshore, and southwesterly flow classifications each present different strengths and locations of the interactions. Light winds ( 3 m s-1 to 6 m s-1 ) also influence the interactions differently. Observations indicate that moderate southwesterly flow has the highest total average and total maximum precipitation amounts over the region due to the advection of warm, moist air. Light offshore flow produces the highest totals of average precipitation due to opposing background winds that helps in the development of a robust sea-breeze circulation. Onshore flow produces the least amount of precipitation. The sea breeze circulation is weak in such cases, if it exists. Vertical characteristics and the variations of different defining parameters during the interactions were evaluated using numerical simulations. To improve the representation of convection in the numerical model, modifications were made to the convective parameterization scheme and the interactions were simulated using this improved version. These modifications include the addition of subgrid scale clouds in the radiation scheme, adjustments to the convective timescale, modifications to the entrainment rates, and linking of the subcloud velocity scale to the turbulent kinetic energy from the boundary layer parameterization. Modifications improved the numerical simulations of the mesoscale convection and precipitation predictions. Numerical simulations of the wind regime classifications reveal that the strength of the interaction, intensity of convection, and the location and depth of the convection and interaction are influenced by the background winds and moisture availability. Southwesterly flow regimes have the highest levels of atmospheric instability and produce widespread regional precipitation. Light offshore winds produce the strongest interactions between the sea-breeze front and the Sandhills front. Onshore flow produces the least amount of convective precipitation. In summary, mesoscale driven interaction events occur regularly during summer months in the coastal Carolinas. The principal driving mechanisms are surface-based differential heating over the Sandhills region caused by changes in soil heat capacity and the coastal sea breeze circulation. The location and intensity of these interactions are dictated by different wind regimes that regulate the strength of the interactions and moisture availability.

Impact of Biomass Burning Aerosols on Cloud Formation in Coastal Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, U. S.; Wu, Y.; Reid, J. S.

2017-12-01

In the tropics, shallow and deep convective cloud structures organize in hierarchy of spatial scales ranging from meso-gamma (2-20 km) to planetary scales (40,000km). At the lower end of the spectrum is shallow convection over the open ocean, whose upscale growth is dependent upon mesoscale convergence triggers. In this context, cloud systems associated with land breezes that propagate long distances into open ocean areas are important. We utilized numerical model simulations to examine the impact of biomass burning on such cloud systems in the maritime continent, specifically along the coastal regions of Sarawak. Numerical model simulations conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model show spatial patterns of smoke that show good agreement to satellite observations. Analysis of model simulations show that, during daytime the horizontal convective rolls (HCRs) that form over land play an important role in organizing transport of smoke in the coastal regions. Alternating patterns of low and high smoke concentrations that are well correlated to the wavelengths of HCRs are found in both the simulations and satellite observations. During night time, smoke transport is modulated by the land breeze circulation and a band of enhanced smoke concentration is found along the land breeze front. Biomass burning aerosols are ingested by the convective clouds that form along the land breeze and leads to changes in total water path, cloud structure and precipitation formation.

The influence of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Florida panhandle sea breeze

USGS Publications Warehouse

Misra, V.; Moeller, L.; Stefanova, L.; Chan, S.; O'Brien, J. J.; Smith, T.J.; Plant, N.

2011-01-01

In this paper we examine the variations of the boreal summer season sea breeze circulation along the Florida panhandle coast from relatively high resolution (10 km) regional climate model integrations. The 23 year climatology (1979-2001) of the multidecadal dynamically downscaled simulations forced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy (NCEP-DOE) Reanalysis II at the lateral boundaries verify quite well with the observed climatology. The variations at diurnal and interannual time scales are also well simulated with respect to the observations. We show from composite analyses made from these downscaled simulations that sea breezes in northwestern Florida are associated with changes in the size of the Atlantic Warm Pool (AWP) on interannual time scales. In large AWP years when the North Atlantic Subtropical High becomes weaker and moves further eastward relative to the small AWP years, a large part of the southeast U.S. including Florida comes under the influence of relatively strong anomalous low-level northerly flow and large-scale subsidence consistent with the theory of the Sverdrup balance. This tends to suppress the diurnal convection over the Florida panhandle coast in large AWP years. This study is also an illustration of the benefit of dynamic downscaling in understanding the low-frequency variations of the sea breeze. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Cancer Incidence in the U.S. Military Population: Comparison with Rates from the SEER Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-08

reproductive his- tory such as age at first birth, parity, and use of contracep- tives. Military women may be more likely to use oral contraceptive ...analysis, 34% of active-duty women and 29% of women in the general population used oral contraceptive pills in the preceding 12 months. Oral... contraceptive pill use has been shown to increase the risk for breast cancer, particu- larly in younger women (33, 34). Military women are also more likely to

Healthcare experience among older cancer survivors: Analysis of the SEER-CAHPS dataset.

PubMed

Halpern, Michael T; Urato, Matthew P; Lines, Lisa M; Cohen, Julia B; Arora, Neeraj K; Kent, Erin E

2018-05-01

Little is known about factors affecting medical care experiences of cancer survivors. This study examined experience of care among cancer survivors and assessed associations of survivors' characteristics with their experience. We used a newly-developed, unique data resource, SEER-CAHPS (NCI's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results [SEER] data linked to Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems [CAHPS] survey responses), to examine experiences of care among breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer survivors age >66years who completed CAHPS >1year after cancer diagnosis and survived ≥1year after survey completion. Experience of care was assessed by survivor-provided scores for overall care, health plan, physicians, customer service, doctor communication, and aspects of care. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations of survivors' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with care experience. Among 19,455 cancer survivors with SEER-CAHPS data, higher self-reported general-health status was significantly associated with better care experiences for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors. In contrast, better mental-health status was associated with better care experience for lung cancer survivors. College-educated and Asian survivors were less likely to indicate high scores for care experiences. Few differences in survivors' experiences were observed by sex or years since diagnosis. The SEER-CAHPS data resources allows assessment of factors influencing experience of cancer among U.S. cancer survivors. Higher self-reported health status was associated with better experiences of care; other survivors' characteristics also predicted care experience. Interventions to improve cancer survivors' health status, such as increased access to supportive care services, may improve experience of care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Muddy Water? Variation in Reporting Receipt of Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy by Population-Based Tumor Registries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, Gary V.; Giordano, Sharon H.; Williams, Melanie

2013-07-15

Purpose: To evaluate, in the setting of breast cancer, the accuracy of registry radiation therapy (RT) coding compared with the gold standard of Medicare claims. Methods and Materials: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare data, we identified 73,077 patients aged ≥66 years diagnosed with breast cancer in the period 2001-2007. Underascertainment (1 - sensitivity), sensitivity, specificity, κ, and χ{sup 2} were calculated for RT receipt determined by registry data versus claims. Multivariate logistic regression characterized patient, treatment, and geographic factors associated with underascertainment of RT. Findings in the SEER–Medicare registries were compared with three non-SEER registries (Florida, New York,more » and Texas). Results: In the SEER–Medicare registries, 41.6% (n=30,386) of patients received RT according to registry coding, versus 49.3% (n=36,047) according to Medicare claims (P<.001). Underascertainment of RT was more likely if patients resided in a newer SEER registry (odds ratio [OR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60-1.80; P<.001), rural county (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21-1.48; P<.001), or if RT was delayed (OR 1.006/day, 95% CI 1.006-1.007; P<.001). Underascertainment of RT receipt in SEER registries was 18.7% (95% CI 18.6-18.8%), compared with 44.3% (95% CI 44.0-44.5%) in non-SEER registries. Conclusions: Population-based tumor registries are highly variable in ascertainment of RT receipt and should be augmented with other data sources when evaluating quality of breast cancer care. Future work should identify opportunities for the radiation oncology community to partner with registries to improve accuracy of treatment data.« less

Greater absolute risk for all subtypes of breast cancer in the US than Malaysia.

PubMed

Horne, Hisani N; Beena Devi, C R; Sung, Hyuna; Tang, Tieng Swee; Rosenberg, Philip S; Hewitt, Stephen M; Sherman, Mark E; Anderson, William F; Yang, Xiaohong R

2015-01-01

Hormone receptor (HR) negative breast cancers are relatively more common in low-risk than high-risk countries and/or populations. However, the absolute variations between these different populations are not well established given the limited number of cancer registries with incidence rate data by breast cancer subtype. We, therefore, used two unique population-based resources with molecular data to compare incidence rates for the 'intrinsic' breast cancer subtypes between a low-risk Asian population in Malaysia and high-risk non-Hispanic white population in the National Cancer Institute's surveillance, epidemiology, and end results 18 registries database (SEER 18). The intrinsic breast cancer subtypes were recapitulated with the joint expression of the HRs (estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2). Invasive breast cancer incidence rates overall were fivefold greater in SEER 18 than in Malaysia. The majority of breast cancers were HR-positive in SEER 18 and HR-negative in Malaysia. Notwithstanding the greater relative distribution for HR-negative cancers in Malaysia, there was a greater absolute risk for all subtypes in SEER 18; incidence rates were nearly 7-fold higher for HR-positive and 2-fold higher for HR-negative cancers in SEER 18. Despite the well-established relative breast cancer differences between low-risk and high-risk countries and/or populations, there was a greater absolute risk for HR-positive and HR-negative subtypes in the US than Malaysia. Additional analytical studies are sorely needed to determine the factors responsible for the elevated risk of all subtypes of breast cancer in high-risk countries like the United States.

Neuroblastoma among children in Southern and Eastern European cancer registries: Variations in incidence and temporal trends compared to US.

PubMed

Georgakis, Marios K; Dessypris, Nick; Baka, Margarita; Moschovi, Maria; Papadakis, Vassilios; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Kourti, Maria; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Dana, Helen; Bouka, Evdoxia; Antunes, Luis; Bastos, Joana; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Eser, Sultan; Gheorghiu, Raluca; Sekerija, Mario; Trojanowski, Maciej; Zagar, Tina; Zborovskaya, Anna; Ryzhov, Anton; Tragiannidis, Athanassios; Panagopoulou, Paraskevi; Steliarova-Foucher, Eva; Petridou, Eleni Th

2018-05-15

Neuroblastoma comprises the most common neoplasm during infancy (first year of life). Our study describes incidence of neuroblastoma in Southern-Eastern Europe (SEE), including - for the first time - the Nationwide Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies and Solid Tumors (NARECHEM-ST)/Greece, compared to the US population, while controlling for human development index (HDI). Age-adjusted incidence rates (AIR) were calculated for 1,859 childhood (0-14 years) neuroblastoma cases, retrieved from 13 collaborating SEE registries (1990-2016), and were compared to those of SEER/US (N = 3,166; 1990-2012); temporal trends were assessed using Poisson regression and Joinpoint analyses. The overall AIR was significantly lower in SEE (10.1/million) compared to SEER (11.7 per million); the difference was maximum during infancy (43.7 vs. 53.3 per million, respectively), when approximately one-third of cases were diagnosed. Incidence rates of neuroblastoma at ages <1 and 1-4 years were positively associated with HDI, whereas lower median age at diagnosis was correlated with higher overall AIR. Distribution of primary site and histology was similar in SEE and SEER. Neuroblastoma was slightly more common among males compared to females (male-to-female ratio: 1.1), mainly among SEE infants. Incidence trends decreased in infants in Slovenia, Cyprus and SEER and increased in Ukraine and Belarus. The lower incidence in SEE compared to SEER, especially in infants living in low HDI countries possibly indicates a lower level of overdiagnosis in SEE. Hence, increases in incidence rates in infancy noted in some subpopulations should be carefully monitored to avoid the unnecessary costs health impacts of tumors that could potentially spontaneously regress. © 2017 UICC.

Incidence and time trends of childhood lymphomas: findings from 14 Southern and Eastern European cancer registries and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results, USA.

PubMed

Georgakis, Marios K; Karalexi, Maria A; Agius, Domenic; Antunes, Luis; Bastos, Joana; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Dimitrova, Nadya; Eser, Sultan; Florea, Margareta; Ryzhov, Anton; Sekerija, Mario; Žagar, Tina; Zborovskaya, Anna; Zivkovic, Snezana; Bouka, Evdoxia; Kanavidis, Prodromos; Dana, Helen; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Kourti, Maria; Moschovi, Maria; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Kantzanou, Μaria; Pourtsidis, Apostolos; Petridou, Eleni Th

2016-11-01

To describe epidemiologic patterns of childhood (0-14 years) lymphomas in the Southern and Eastern European (SEE) region in comparison with the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), USA, and explore tentative discrepancies. Childhood lymphomas were retrieved from 14 SEE registries (n = 4,702) and SEER (n = 4,416), diagnosed during 1990-2014; incidence rates were estimated and time trends were evaluated. Overall age-adjusted incidence rate was higher in SEE (16.9/10 6 ) compared to SEER (13.6/10 6 ), because of a higher incidence of Hodgkin (HL, 7.5/10 6 vs. 5.1/10 6 ) and Burkitt lymphoma (BL, 3.1 vs. 2.3/10 6 ), whereas the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) was overall identical (5.9/10 6 vs. 5.8/10 6 ), albeit variable among SEE. Incidence increased with age, except for BL which peaked at 4 years; HL in SEE also showed an early male-specific peak at 4 years. The male preponderance was more pronounced for BL and attenuated with increasing age for HL. Increasing trends were noted in SEER for total lymphomas and NHL, and was marginal for HL, as contrasted to the decreasing HL and NHL trends generally observed in SEE registries, with the exception of increasing HL incidence in Portugal; of note, BL incidence trend followed a male-specific increasing trend in SEE. Registry-based data reveal variable patterns and time trends of childhood lymphomas in SEE and SEER during the last decades, possibly reflecting diverse levels of socioeconomic development of the populations in the respective areas; optimization of registration process may allow further exploration of molecular characteristics of disease subtypes.

Land Surface Data Assimilation and the Northern Gulf Coast Land/Sea Breeze

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapenta, William M.; Blackwell, Keith; Suggs, Ron; McNider, Richard T.; Jedlovec, Gary; Kimball, Sytske; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A technique has been developed for assimilating GOES-derived skin temperature tendencies and insolation into the surface energy budget equation of a mesoscale model so that the simulated rate of temperature change closely agrees with the satellite observations. A critical assumption of the technique is that the availability of moisture (either from the soil or vegetation) is the least known term in the model's surface energy budget. Therefore, the simulated latent heat flux, which is a function of surface moisture availability, is adjusted based upon differences between the modeled and satellite observed skin temperature tendencies. An advantage of this technique is that satellite temperature tendencies are assimilated in an energetically consistent manner that avoids energy imbalances and surface stability problems that arise from direct assimilation of surface shelter temperatures. The fact that the rate of change of the satellite skin temperature is used rather than the absolute temperature means that sensor calibration is not as critical. The sea/land breeze is a well-documented mesoscale circulation that affects many coastal areas of the world including the northern Gulf Coast of the United States. The focus of this paper is to examine how the satellite assimilation technique impacts the simulation of a sea breeze circulation observed along the Mississippi/Alabama coast in the spring of 2001. The technique is implemented within the PSU/NCAR MM5 V3-4 and applied on a 4-km domain for this particular application. It is recognized that a 4-km grid spacing is too coarse to explicitly resolve the detailed, mesoscale structure of sea breezes. Nevertheless, the model can forecast certain characteristics of the observed sea breeze including a thermally direct circulation that results from differential low-level heating across the land-sea interface. Our intent is to determine the sensitivity of the circulation to the differential land surface forcing produced via the assimilation of GOES skin temperature tendencies. Results will be quantified through statistical verification techniques.

Application of Land Surface Data Assimilation to Simulations of Sea Breeze Circulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackaro, Scott; Lapenta, William M.; Blackwell, Keith; Suggs, Ron; McNider, Richard T.; Jedlovec, Gary; Kimball, Sytske

2003-01-01

A technique has been developed for assimilating GOES-derived skin temperature tendencies and insolation into the surface energy budget equation of a mesoscale model so that the simulated rate of temperature change closely agrees with the satellite observations. A critical assumption of the technique is that the availability of moisture (either from the soil or vegetation) is the least known term in the model's surface energy budget. Therefore, the simulated latent heat flux, which is a function of surface moisture availability, is adjusted based upon differences between the modeled and satellite- observed skin temperature tendencies. An advantage of this technique is that satellite temperature tendencies are assimilated in an energetically consistent manner that avoids energy imbalances and surface stability problems that arise from direct assimilation of surface shelter temperatures. The fact that the rate of change of the satellite skin temperature is used rather than the absolute temperature means that sensor calibration is not as critical. The sea/land breeze is a well-documented mesoscale circulation that affects many coastal areas of the world including the northern Gulf Coast of the United States. The focus of this paper is to examine how the satellite assimilation technique impacts the simulation of a sea breeze circulation observed along the Mississippi/Alabama coast in the spring of 2001. The technique is implemented within the PSUNCAR MM5 V3-5 and applied at spatial resolutions of 12- and 4-km. It is recognized that even 4-km grid spacing is too coarse to explicitly resolve the detailed, mesoscale structure of sea breezes. Nevertheless, the model can forecast certain characteristics of the observed sea breeze including a thermally direct circulation that results from differential low-level heating across the land-sea interface. Our intent is to determine the sensitivity of the circulation to the differential land surface forcing produced via the assimilation of GOES skin temperature tendencies. Results will be quantified through statistical verification techniques.

Nearshore circulation on a sea breeze dominated beach during intense wind events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Freyermuth, Alec; Puleo, Jack A.; DiCosmo, Nick; Allende-Arandía, Ma. Eugenia; Chardón-Maldonado, Patricia; López, José; Figueroa-Espinoza, Bernardo; de Alegria-Arzaburu, Amaia Ruiz; Figlus, Jens; Roberts Briggs, Tiffany M.; de la Roza, Jacobo; Candela, Julio

2017-12-01

A field experiment was conducted on the northern Yucatan coast from April 1 to April 12, 2014 to investigate the role of intense wind events on coastal circulation from the inner shelf to the swash zone. The study area is characterized by a micro-tidal environment, low-energy wave conditions, and a wide and shallow continental shelf. Furthermore, easterly trade winds, local breezes, and synoptic-scale events, associated with the passage of cold-fronts known as Nortes, are ubiquitous in this region. Currents were measured concurrently at different cross-shore locations during both local and synoptic-scale intense wind events to investigate the influence of different forcing mechanisms (i.e., large-scale currents, winds, tides, and waves) on the nearshore circulation. Field observations revealed that nearshore circulation across the shelf is predominantly alongshore-directed (westward) during intense winds. However, the mechanisms responsible for driving instantaneous spatial and temporal current variability depend on the weather conditions and the across-shelf location. During local strong sea breeze events (W > 10 m s-1 from the NE) occurring during spring tide, westward circulation is controlled by the tides, wind, and waves at the inner-shelf, shallow waters, and inside the surf/swash zone, respectively. The nearshore circulation is relaxed during intense land breeze events (W ≈ 9 m s-1 from the SE) associated with the low atmospheric pressure system that preceded a Norte event. During the Norte event (Wmax≈ 15 m s-1 from the NNW), westward circulation dominated outside the surf zone and was correlated to the Yucatan Current, whereas wave breaking forces eastward currents inside the surf/swash zone. The latter finding implies the existence of large alongshore velocity shear at the offshore edge of the surf zone during the Norte event, which enhances mixing between the surf zone and the inner shelf. These findings suggest that both sea breezes and Nortes play an important role in sediment and pollutant transport along/across the nearshore of the Yucatan shelf.

Florida Agriculture - Utilizing TRMM to Analyze Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Patterns During El Nino Southern Oscillations and Their Effects Upon Available Fresh Water for South Florida Agricultural Planning and Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billiot, Amanda; Lee, Lucas; McKee, Jake; Cooley, Zachary Clayton; Mitchell, Brandie

2010-01-01

This project utilizes Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Landsat satellite data to assess the impact of sea breeze precipitation upon areas of agricultural land use in southern Florida. Water is a critical resource to agriculture, and the availability of water for agricultural use in Florida continues to remain a key issue. Recent projections of statewide water use by 2020 estimate that 9.3 billion gallons of water per day will be demanded, and agriculture represents 47% of this demand (Bronson 2003). Farmers have fewer options for water supplies than public users and are often limited to using available supplies from surface and ground water sources which depend in part upon variable weather patterns. Sea breeze thunderstorms are responsible for much of the rainfall delivered to Florida during the wet season (May-October) and have been recognized as an important overall contributor of rainfall in southern Florida (Almeida 2003). TRMM satellite data was used to analyze how sea breeze-induced thunderstorms during El Nino and La Nina affected interannual patterns of precipitation in southern Florida from 1998-2009. TRMM's Precipitation Radar and Microwave Imager provide data to quantify water vapor in the atmosphere, precipitation rates and intensity, and the distribution of precipitation. Rainfall accumulation data derived from TRMM and other microwave sensors were used to analyze the temporal and spatial variations of rainfall during each phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Through the use of TRMM and Landsat, slight variations were observed, but it was determined that neither sea breeze nor total rainfall patterns in South Florida were strongly affected by ENSO during the study period. However, more research is needed to characterize the influence of ENSO on summer weather patterns in South Florida. This research will provide the basis for continued observations and study with the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission.

Evaluation of weather research and forecasting model parameterizations under sea-breeze conditions in a North Sea coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvador, Nadir; Reis, Neyval Costa; Santos, Jane Meri; Albuquerque, Taciana Toledo de Almeida; Loriato, Ayres Geraldo; Delbarre, Hervé; Augustin, Patrick; Sokolov, Anton; Moreira, Davidson Martins

2016-12-01

Three atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) schemes and two land surface models that are used in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, version 3.4.1, were evaluated with numerical simulations by using data from the north coast of France (Dunkerque). The ABL schemes YSU (Yonsei University), ACM2 (Asymmetric Convective Model version 2), and MYJ (Mellor-Yamada-Janjic) were combined with two land surface models, Noah and RUC (Rapid Update Cycle), in order to determine the performances under sea-breeze conditions. Particular attention is given in the determination of the thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL), which is very important in air pollution scenarios. The other physics parameterizations used in the model were consistent for all simulations. The predictions of the sea-breeze dynamics output from the WRF model were compared with observations taken from sonic detection and ranging, light detection and ranging systems and a meteorological surface station to verify that the model had reasonable accuracy in predicting the behavior of local circulations. The temporal comparisons of the vertical and horizontal wind speeds and wind directions predicted by the WRF model showed that all runs detected the passage of the sea-breeze front. However, except for the combination of MYJ and Noah, all runs had a time delay compared with the frontal passage measured by the instruments. The proposed study shows that the synoptic wind attenuated the intensity and penetration of the sea breeze. This provided changes in the vertical mixing in a short period of time and on soil temperature that could not be detected by the WRF model simulations with the computational grid used. Additionally, among the tested schemes, the combination of the localclosure MYJ scheme with the land surface Noah scheme was able to produce the most accurate ABL height compared with observations, and it was also able to capture the TIBL.

Crawler Transporter 2 Trek

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-23

An American flag flutters in the breeze as NASA’s upgraded crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) travels along the crawlerway during its trek to Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to test recently completed upgrades and modifications for NASA’s journey to Mars. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy oversaw upgrades to the crawler in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The crawler will carry the mobile launcher with Orion atop the Space Launch System rocket to Pad 39B for Exploration Mission-1, scheduled for 2018.

Epidemiology of Medicare Abuse: The Example of Power Wheelchairs R2

PubMed Central

Goodwin, James S.; Nguyen-Oghalai, Tracy U.; Kuo, Yong-Fang; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J.

2007-01-01

Background Press reports and government investigations have uncovered widespread abuse in power wheelchair prescriptions reimbursed by Medicare, with specific targeting of minority neighborhoods for aggressive marketing. Objective We sought to determine the impact of neighborhood ethnic composition on power wheelchair prescriptions. Design The 5% non-cancer sample of Medicare recipients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, from 1994–2001 Setting SEER regions Participants Individuals covered by Medicare living in SEER regions without a cancer diagnosis Measurements Individual characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, justifying diagnosis, and comorbidity), primary diagnoses, neighborhood characteristics (% black, % Hispanic, % with <12 years education and median income) and SEER region Results The rate of power wheelchair prescriptions increased 33 fold from 1994 to 2001, with a shift over time from justifying diagnoses more closely tied to mobility impairment, such as strokes, to less specific medical diagnoses, such as osteoarthritis. In multilevel, multivariate analyses, individuals living in neighborhoods with higher percentages of blacks or Hispanics were more likely to receive power wheelchairs (OR= 1.09 for each 10% increase in black residents and 1.23 for each 10% increase in Hispanic residents), after controlling for ethnicity and other characteristics at the individual level. Conclusion These results support allegations that minority neighborhoods have been specifically targeted by marketers promoting power wheelchairs. PMID:17302658

Numerical Modeling of the Propagation Environment in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over the Persian Gulf.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, B. W.; Li, J.-G.; Plant, R. S.

2001-03-01

Strong vertical gradients at the top of the atmospheric boundary layer affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves and can produce radar ducts. A three-dimensional, time-dependent, nonhydrostatic numerical model was used to simulate the propagation environment in the atmosphere over the Persian Gulf when aircraft observations of ducting had been made. A division of the observations into high- and low-wind cases was used as a framework for the simulations. Three sets of simulations were conducted with initial conditions of varying degrees of idealization and were compared with the observations taken in the Ship Antisubmarine Warfare Readiness/Effectiveness Measuring (SHAREM-115) program. The best results occurred with the initialization based on a sounding taken over the coast modified by the inclusion of data on low-level atmospheric conditions over the Gulf waters. The development of moist, cool, stable marine internal boundary layers (MIBL) in air flowing from land over the waters of the Gulf was simulated. The MIBLs were capped by temperature inversions and associated lapses of humidity and refractivity. The low-wind MIBL was shallower and the gradients at its top were sharper than in the high-wind case, in agreement with the observations. Because it is also forced by land-sea contrasts, a sea-breeze circulation frequently occurs in association with the MIBL. The size, location, and internal structure of the sea-breeze circulation were realistically simulated. The gradients of temperature and humidity that bound the MIBL cause perturbations in the refractivity distribution that, in turn, lead to trapping layers and ducts. The existence, location, and surface character of the ducts were well captured. Horizontal variations in duct characteristics due to the sea-breeze circulation were also evident. The simulations successfully distinguished between high- and low-wind occasions, a notable feature of the SHAREM-115 observations. The modeled magnitudes of duct depth and strength, although leaving scope for improvement, were most encouraging.

Two years observations on the diurnal evolution of coastal atmospheric boundary layer features over Thiruvananthapuram (8.5∘ N, 76.9∘ E), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anurose, T. J.; Subrahamanyam, D. Bala; Sunilkumar, S. V.

2018-01-01

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over a given coastal station is influenced by the presence of mesoscale sea breeze circulation, together with the local and synoptic weather, which directly or indirectly modulate the vertical thickness of ABL ( z ABL). Despite its importance in the characterization of lower tropospheric processes and atmospheric modeling studies, a reliable climatology on the temporal evolution of z ABL is not available over the tropics. Here, we investigate the challenges involved in determination of the ABL heights, and discuss an objective method to define the vertical structure of coastal ABL. The study presents a two year morphology on the diurnal evolution of the vertical thickness of sea breeze flow ( z SBF) and z ABL in association with the altitudes of lifting condensation level ( z LCL) over Thiruvananthapuram (8.5∘ N, 76.9∘ E), a representative coastal station on the western coastline of the Indian sub-continent. We make use of about 516 balloon-borne GPS sonde measurements in the present study, which were carried out as part of the tropical tropopause dynamics field experiment under the climate and weather of the sun-earth system (CAWSES)-India program. Results obtained from the present study reveal major differences in the temporal evolution of the ABL features in relation to the strength of sea breeze circulation and monsoonal wind flow during the winter and summer monsoon respectively. The diurnal evolution in z ABL is very prominent in the winter monsoon as against the summer monsoon, which is attributed to the impact of large-scale monsoonal flow over the surface layer meteorology. For a majority of the database, the z LCL altitudes are found to be higher than that of the z ABL, indicating a possible decoupling of the ABL with the low-level clouds.

Severe Storms Branch research report (April 1984 April 1985)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dubach, L. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Research Program is a program of integrated studies which are to achieve an improved understanding of the basic behavior of the atmosphere through the use of remotely sensed data and space technology. The program consist of four elements: (1) special observations and analysis of mesoscale systems; (20 the development of quanitative algorithms to use remotely sensed observations; (3) the development of new observing systems; and (4) numerical modeling. The Severe Storms Branch objectives are the improvement of the understanding, diagnosis, and prediction of a wide range of atmospheric storms, which includes severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash floods, tropical cyclones, and winter snowstorms. The research often shed light upon various aspects of local weather, such as fog, sea breezes, air pollution, showers, and other products of nonsevere cumulus cloud clusters. The part of the program devoted to boundary layer processes, gust front interactions, and soil moisture detection from satellites gives insights into storm growth and behavior.

Immortal time bias: a frequently unrecognized threat to validity in the evaluation of postoperative radiotherapy.

PubMed

Park, Henry S; Gross, Cary P; Makarov, Danil V; Yu, James B

2012-08-01

To evaluate the influence of immortal time bias on observational cohort studies of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and the effectiveness of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias. First, we reviewed previous studies of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine how frequently this bias was considered. Second, we used SEER to select three tumor types (glioblastoma multiforme, Stage IA-IVM0 gastric adenocarcinoma, and Stage II-III rectal carcinoma) for which prospective trials demonstrated an improvement in survival associated with PORT. For each tumor type, we calculated conditional survivals and adjusted hazard ratios of PORT vs. postoperative observation cohorts while restricting the sample at sequential monthly landmarks. Sixty-two percent of previous SEER publications evaluating PORT failed to use a landmark analysis. As expected, delivery of PORT for all three tumor types was associated with improved survival, with the largest associated benefit favoring PORT when all patients were included regardless of survival. Preselecting a cohort with a longer minimum survival sequentially diminished the apparent benefit of PORT. Although the majority of previous SEER articles do not correct for it, immortal time bias leads to altered estimates of PORT effectiveness, which are very sensitive to landmark selection. We suggest the routine use of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immortal Time Bias: A Frequently Unrecognized Threat to Validity in the Evaluation of Postoperative Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Henry S.; Gross, Cary P.; Makarov, Danil V.

2012-08-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of immortal time bias on observational cohort studies of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and the effectiveness of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias. Methods and Materials: First, we reviewed previous studies of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine how frequently this bias was considered. Second, we used SEER to select three tumor types (glioblastoma multiforme, Stage IA-IVM0 gastric adenocarcinoma, and Stage II-III rectal carcinoma) for which prospective trials demonstrated an improvement in survival associated with PORT. For each tumor type, we calculated conditional survivals and adjusted hazard ratios of PORTmore » vs. postoperative observation cohorts while restricting the sample at sequential monthly landmarks. Results: Sixty-two percent of previous SEER publications evaluating PORT failed to use a landmark analysis. As expected, delivery of PORT for all three tumor types was associated with improved survival, with the largest associated benefit favoring PORT when all patients were included regardless of survival. Preselecting a cohort with a longer minimum survival sequentially diminished the apparent benefit of PORT. Conclusions: Although the majority of previous SEER articles do not correct for it, immortal time bias leads to altered estimates of PORT effectiveness, which are very sensitive to landmark selection. We suggest the routine use of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias.« less

Investigation of mesoscale precipitation processes in the Carolinas using a radar-based climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyles, Ryan Patrick

The complex topography, shoreline, soils, and land use patterns makes the Carolinas a unique location to study mesoscale processes. Using gage-calibrated radar estimates and a series of numerical model simulations, warm season mesoscale precipitation patterns are analyzed over the Carolinas. Gage-calibrated radar precipitation estimates are compared with surface gage observations. Stage IV estimates generally compared better than Stage II estimates, but some Stage II and Stage IV estimates have gross errors during autumn, winter, and spring seasons. Analysis of days when sea breeze is observed suggests that sea breeze induced precipitation occurs on nearly 40% of days in June, July, and August, but only 18% in May and 6% of days in April. Precipitation on days with sea breeze convection can contribute to over 50% of seasonal precipitation. Rainfall associated with sea breeze is generally maximized along east-facing shores 10-20 km inland, and minimized along south-facing shores in North Carolina. The shape of the shoreline along Cape Fear is associated with a local precipitation maximum that may be caused by the convergence of two sea breeze fronts from the south and east shores. Differential heating associated with contrasting soils along the Carolina Sandhills is suggested as a mechanism for enhancement in local precipitation. A high-resolution summer precipitation climatology suggests that precipitation is enhanced along the Sandhills region in both wet and dry years. Analysis of four numerical simulations suggests that contrasts in soils over the Carolinas Sandhills dominates over vegetation contrasts to produce heat flux gradients and a convergence zone along the sand-to-clay transition. Orographically induced precipitation is consistently observed in the summer, and appears to be isolated along windward slopes at 20km--40km from the ridge line. Amounts over external ridges are generally 50-100% higher than amounts observed over the foothills. Precipitation amounts over interior ridges and valleys are lower than observed on exterior ridges and are similar to values observed over the foothills. When compared with Stage IV estimates, the PRISM (Precipitation-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) method for estimating precipitation in complex terrain appears to largely over-estimate precipitation amounts over the interior ridges.

A study of atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides at a coastal site using a modified Gaussian model and a mesoscale sea breeze model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatesan, R.; Mathiyarasu, R.; Somayaji, K. M.

Ground level concentration and sky-shine dose due to radioactive emissions from a nuclear power plant at a coastal site have been estimated using the standard Gaussian Plume Model (GPM) and the modified GPM suggested by Misra (Atmospheric Environment 14 (1980) 397), which incorporates fumigation effect under sea breeze condition. The difference in results between these two models is analysed in order to understand their significance and errors that would occur if proper choice were not made. Radioactive sky-shine dose from 41Ar, emitted from a 100 m stack of the nuclear plant is continuously recorded by environmental gamma dose monitors and the data is used to validate the modified GPM. It is observed that the dose values increase by a factor of about 2 times than those of the standard GPM estimates, up to a downwind distance of 6 km during sea breeze hours. In order to examine the dispersion of radioactive effluents in the mesoscale range, a sea breeze model coupled with a particle dispersion model is used. The deposited activity, thyroid dose and sky-shine radioactive dose are simulated for a range of 30 km. In this range, the plume is found to deviate from its straight-line trajectory, as otherwise assumed in GPM. A secondary maximum in the concentration and the sky-shine dose is also observed in the model results. These results are quite significant in realistically estimating the area affected under any unlikely event of an accidental release of radioactivity.

Chapter 4: Small Commercial and Residential Unitary and Split System HVAC Heating and Cooling Equipment-Efficiency Upgrade Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurnik, Charles W; Jacobson, David; Metoyer, Jarred

The specific measure described here involves improving the overall efficiency in air-conditioning systems as a whole (compressor, evaporator, condenser, and supply fan). The efficiency rating is expressed as the energy efficiency ratio (EER), seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), and integrated energy efficiency ratio (IEER). The higher the EER, SEER or IEER, the more efficient the unit is.

Health Insurance Affects Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Patterns and Outcomes.

PubMed

Inverso, Gino; Mahal, Brandon A; Aizer, Ayal A; Donoff, R Bruce; Chuang, Sung-Kiang

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of insurance coverage on stage of presentation, treatment, and survival of head and neck cancer (HNC). A retrospective study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program to identify patients diagnosed with HNC. The primary variable of interest was insurance analyzed as a dichotomous variable: Patients were considered uninsured if they were classified as "uninsured" by SEER, whereas patients were considered insured if they were defined by SEER as "any Medicaid," "insured," or "insured/no specifics." The outcomes of interest were cancer stage at presentation (M0 vs M1), receipt of definitive treatment, and HNC-specific mortality (HNCSM). Multivariable logistic regression modeled the association between insurance status and stage at presentation, as well as between insurance status and receipt of definitive treatment, whereas HNCSM was modeled using Fine and Gray competing risks. Sensitivity logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether observed interactions remained significant by insurance type (privately insured, Medicaid, and uninsured). Patients without medical insurance were more likely to present with metastatic cancer (adjusted odds ratio, 1.60; P < .001), were more likely to not receive definitive treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 1.64; P < .001), and had a higher risk of HNCSM (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.20; P = .002). Sensitivity analyses showed that when results were stratified by insurance type, significant interactions remained for uninsured patients and patients with Medicaid. Uninsured patients and patients with Medicaid are more likely to present with metastatic disease, are more likely to not be treated definitively, and are at a higher risk of HNCSM. The treatment gap between Medicaid and private insurance observed in this study should serve as an immediate policy target for health care reform. Copyright © 2016 The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rule-Based Flight Software Cost Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stukes, Sherry A.; Spagnuolo, John N. Jr.

2015-01-01

This paper discusses the fundamental process for the computation of Flight Software (FSW) cost estimates. This process has been incorporated in a rule-based expert system [1] that can be used for Independent Cost Estimates (ICEs), Proposals, and for the validation of Cost Analysis Data Requirements (CADRe) submissions. A high-level directed graph (referred to here as a decision graph) illustrates the steps taken in the production of these estimated costs and serves as a basis of design for the expert system described in this paper. Detailed discussions are subsequently given elaborating upon the methodology, tools, charts, and caveats related to the various nodes of the graph. We present general principles for the estimation of FSW using SEER-SEM as an illustration of these principles when appropriate. Since Source Lines of Code (SLOC) is a major cost driver, a discussion of various SLOC data sources for the preparation of the estimates is given together with an explanation of how contractor SLOC estimates compare with the SLOC estimates used by JPL. Obtaining consistency in code counting will be presented as well as factors used in reconciling SLOC estimates from different code counters. When sufficient data is obtained, a mapping into the JPL Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) from the SEER-SEM output is illustrated. For across the board FSW estimates, as was done for the NASA Discovery Mission proposal estimates performed at JPL, a comparative high-level summary sheet for all missions with the SLOC, data description, brief mission description and the most relevant SEER-SEM parameter values is given to illustrate an encapsulation of the used and calculated data involved in the estimates. The rule-based expert system described provides the user with inputs useful or sufficient to run generic cost estimation programs. This system's incarnation is achieved via the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) and will be addressed at the end of this paper.

Incidence of breast carcinoma in women with thyroid carcinoma.

PubMed

Vassilopoulou-Sellin, R; Palmer, L; Taylor, S; Cooksley, C S

1999-02-01

Breast carcinoma and differentiated thyroid carcinoma(the most common endocrine malignancy) occur predominantly in women. An association between the two tumors has been suggested by some investigators, but the potential impact of treatment of one of these diseases on the development of the other remains unclear. The authors examined the relation between the occurrence of these two tumors. There were 41,686 patients with breast carcinoma and 3662 with thyroid carcinoma who registered at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between March 1944 and April 1997. Women who received both diagnoses since 1976 were identified and incidence rates and relative risks of secondary tumor development were calculated. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program data on the age-adjusted incidences of these diseases during the same time period were used for the expected incidences in the same population. Among 18,931 women with a diagnosis of breast carcinoma since 1976, 11 developed differentiated thyroid carcinoma > or = 2 years after the diagnosis of breast carcinoma. These breast carcinoma patients contributed 129,336 person-years of follow-up; the observed incidence of thyroid carcinoma in this group was not different from that in a similar age group of women in the SEER database. Among 1013 women with a diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma since 1976, 24 developed breast carcinoma > or = 2 years after the diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. These thyroid carcinoma patients contributed 8380 person-years of follow-up; the observed incidence of breast carcinoma in women ages 40-49 years was significantly higher than the expected incidence for women in the same age group in the SEER database. Breast carcinoma developing after thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed more frequently than expected in young adult women seen at the study institution since 1976. This potential association and plausible mechanisms of breast carcinoma development after thyroid carcinoma should be evaluated in larger cohorts of patients.

Prognostic value of site-specific metastases in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database analysis.

PubMed

Oweira, Hani; Petrausch, Ulf; Helbling, Daniel; Schmidt, Jan; Mannhart, Meinrad; Mehrabi, Arianeb; Schöb, Othmar; Giryes, Anwar; Decker, Michael; Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-03-14

To evaluate the prognostic value of site-specific metastases among patients with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma registered within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. SEER database (2010-2013) has been queried through SEER*Stat program to determine the presentation, treatment outcomes and prognostic outcomes of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma according to the site of metastasis. In this study, metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients were classified according to the site of metastases (liver, lung, bone, brain and distant lymph nodes). We utilized chi-square test to compare the clinicopathological characteristics among different sites of metastases. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing for survival comparisons. We employed Cox proportional model to perform multivariate analyses of the patient population; and accordingly hazard ratios with corresponding 95%CI were generated. Statistical significance was considered if a two-tailed P value < 0.05 was achieved. A total of 13233 patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer and known sites of distant metastases were identified in the period from 2010-2013 and they were included into the current analysis. Patients with isolated distant nodal involvement or lung metastases have better overall and pancreatic cancer-specific survival compared to patients with isolated liver metastases (for overall survival: lung vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001; distant nodal vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001) (for pancreatic cancer-specific survival: lung vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001; distant nodal vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that age < 65 years, white race, being married, female gender; surgery to the primary tumor and surgery to the metastatic disease were associated with better overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with isolated liver metastases have worse outcomes compared to patients with isolated lung or distant nodal metastases. Further research is needed to identify the highly selected subset of patients who may benefit from local treatment of the primary tumor and/or metastatic disease.

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of primary liver cancer in the United States: a study in the SEER-Medicare database.

PubMed

Welzel, Tania M; Graubard, Barry I; Zeuzem, Stefan; El-Serag, Hashem B; Davila, Jessica A; McGlynn, Katherine A

2011-08-01

Incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have increased in the United States. Metabolic syndrome is recognized as a risk factor for HCC and a postulated one for ICC. The magnitude of risk, however, has not been investigated on a population level in the United States. We therefore examined the association between metabolic syndrome and the development of these cancers. All persons diagnosed with HCC and ICC between 1993 and 2005 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. For comparison, a 5% sample of individuals residing in the same regions as the SEER registries of the cases was selected. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome as defined by the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, and other risk factors for HCC (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcoholic liver disease, liver cirrhosis, biliary cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease) and ICC (biliary cirrhosis, cholangitis, cholelithiasis, choledochal cysts, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease) were compared among persons who developed cancer and those who did not. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The inclusion criteria were met by 3649 HCC cases, 743 ICC cases, and 195,953 comparison persons. Metabolic syndrome was significantly more common among persons who developed HCC (37.1%) and ICC (29.7%) than the comparison group (17.1%, P<0.0001). In adjusted multiple logistic regression analyses, metabolic syndrome remained significantly associated with increased risk of HCC (odds ratio=2.13; 95% confidence interval=1.96-2.31, P<0.0001) and ICC (odds ratio=1.56; 95% confidence interval=1.32-1.83, P<0.0001). Metabolic syndrome is a significant risk factor for development of HCC and ICC in the general U.S. population. Copyright © 2011 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Projection of incidence rates to a larger population using ecologic variables.

PubMed

Frey, C M; Feuer, E J; Timmel, M J

1994-09-15

There is wide acceptance of direct standardization of vital rates to adjust for differing age distributions according to the representation within age categories of some referent population. One can use a similar process to standardize, and subsequently project vital rates with respect to continuous, or ratio scale ecologic variables. We obtained from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) programme, a 10 per cent subset of the total U.S. population, country-level breast cancer incidence during 1987-1989 for white women aged 50 and over. We applied regression coefficients that relate ecologic factors to SEER incidence to the full national complement of county-level information to produce an age and ecologic factor adjusted rate that may be more representative of the U.S. than the simple age-adjusted SEER incidence. We conducted a validation study using breast cancer mortality data available for the entire U.S. and which supports the appropriateness of this method for projecting rates.

The role of mesoscale meteorology in modulating the (222)Rn concentrations in Huelva (Spain)--impact of phosphogypsum piles.

PubMed

Hernández-Ceballos, M A; Vargas, A; Arnold, D; Bolívar, J P

2015-07-01

The combined analysis of (222)Rn activity concentrations and mesoscale meteorological conditions at Huelva city (Spain) was addressed in this study to understand the potential impact of phosphogypsum piles on the (222)Rn activity concentrations registered at this area. Hourly mean data from April 2012 to February 2013 registered at two sampling sites (Huelva city and in the background station of El Arenosillo, located 27 km to the south-east) have been used in the study. The results of the present study showed a large difference in mean radon concentrations between the two stations during the sampling period, 6.3 ± 0.4 Bq m(-3) at Huelva and 3.0 ± 0.2 Bq m(-3) at El Arenosillo. The analysis has demonstrated that hourly (222)Rn concentrations at Huelva city above 22 Bq m(-3), with nocturnal peaks up to 50 Bq/m(3), mainly coincided with the occurrence of a pure sea-land breeze cycle. Mesoscale circulations in this region are mainly characterized by two patterns of sea-land breeze, pure and non-pure, with the phosphosypsum piles directly upstream (south) of the city during the afternoon on pure sea-breeze days. The difference between mean (222)Rn activity concentrations at Huelva city were 9.9 ± 1.5 Bq m(-3) for the pure pattern and 3.3 ± 0.5 Bq m(-3) for the non-pure pattern, while in the background station concentrations were 3.9 ± 0.4 Bq m(-3) and 2.8 ± 0.4 Bq m(-3) respectively. Considering these large differences, a detailed analysis of composites and case studies of representative sea-land breeze cycles of both types and their impact on (222)Rn activity concentration was performed. The results suggested that the presence of the phosphogypsum piles was necessary in order to justify the high (222)Rn activity concentrations observed at Huelva compared with the background station in the afternoons on pure sea breeze days (1.5-2.0 Bq m(-3)). On the other hand, large night time differences between the two sites on these days were likely to be associated with a combination of shallow density currents travelling down the Guadalquivir valley and, again, the presence of phosphogypsum piles. The results have demonstrated a significant impact of the phosphogypsum piles on (222)Rn activity concentrations in Huelva city during the occurrence of pure sea breeze days. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenging a dogma: five-year survival does not equal cure in all colorectal cancer patients.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2018-02-01

The current study tried to evaluate the factors affecting 10- to 20- years' survival among long term survivors (>5 years) of colorectal cancer (CRC). Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (1988-2008) was queried through SEER*Stat program.Univariate probability of overall and cancer-specific survival was determined and the difference between groups was examined. Multivariate analysis for factors affecting overall and cancer-specific survival was also conducted. Among node positive patients (Dukes C), 34% of the deaths beyond 5 years can be attributed to CRC; while among M1 patients, 63% of the deaths beyond 5 years can be attributed to CRC. The following factors were predictors of better overall survival in multivariate analysis: younger age, white race (versus black race), female gender, Right colon location (versus rectal location), earlier stage and surgery (P <0.0001 for all parameters). Similarly, the following factors were predictors of better cancer-specific survival in multivariate analysis: younger age, white race (versus black race), female gender, Right colon location (versus left colon and rectal locations), earlier stage and surgery (P <0.0001 for all parameters). Among node positive long-term CRC survivors, more than one third of all deaths can be attributed to CRC.

Availability of Healthcare Resources and Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Among Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black Adults.

PubMed

Akinyemiju, Tomi; Waterbor, John W; Pisu, Maria; Moore, Justin Xavier; Altekruse, Sean F

2016-04-01

This study aims to examine if access to healthcare, measured through the availability of medical resources at the neighborhood level, influences colorectal cancer (CRC) stage, treatment and survival using the Surveillance Epidemiology and Ends Result (SEER) dataset (November 2012), linked with the 2004 Area Resource File. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between availability of healthcare resources and CRC outcomes among non-Hispanic Black (n = 9162) and non-Hispanic White patients (n = 97,264). CRC patients were identified using the SEER*Stat program, and individual socio-demographic, clinical, and county-level healthcare access variables were obtained for each patient. Among NH-W patients, residence in counties with lower number of oncology hospitals was associated with increased odds of late stage diagnosis (OR 1.09, 95 % CI 1.04-1.14), reduced odds of receiving surgery (OR 0.83, 95 % CI 0.74-0.92) and higher hazard rates (HR 1.09, 95 % CI 1.06-1.12). There were no significant associations among NH-B patients. Increased availability of healthcare resources improves CRC outcomes among NH-W patients. However, future studies are required to better understand healthcare utilization patterns in NH-B neighborhoods, and identify other important dimensions of healthcare access such as affordability, acceptability and accommodation.

A statewide investigation of geographic lung cancer incidence patterns and radon exposure in a low-smoking population.

PubMed

Ou, Judy Y; Fowler, Brynn; Ding, Qian; Kirchhoff, Anne C; Pappas, Lisa; Boucher, Kenneth; Akerley, Wallace; Wu, Yelena; Kaphingst, Kimberly; Harding, Garrett; Kepka, Deanna

2018-01-31

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Utah despite having the nation's lowest smoking rate. Radon exposure and differences in lung cancer incidence between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas may explain this phenomenon. We compared smoking-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties by predicted indoor radon level, sex, and cancer stage. We also compared lung cancer incidence by county classification between Utah and all SEER sites. SEER*Stat provided annual age-adjusted rates per 100,000 from 1991 to 2010 for each Utah county and all other SEER sites. County classification, stage, and sex were obtained from SEER*Stat. Smoking was obtained from Environmental Public Health Tracking estimates by Ortega et al. EPA provided low (< 2 pCi/L), moderate (2-4 pCi/L), and high (> 4 pCi/L) indoor radon levels for each county. Poisson models calculated overall, cancer stage, and sex-specific rates and p-values for smoking-adjusted and unadjusted models. LOESS smoothed trend lines compared incidence rates between Utah and all SEER sites by county classification. All metropolitan counties had moderate radon levels; 12 (63%) of the 19 nonmetropolitan counties had moderate predicted radon levels and 7 (37%) had high predicted radon levels. Lung cancer incidence rates were higher in nonmetropolitan counties than metropolitan counties (34.8 vs 29.7 per 100,000, respectively). Incidence of distant stage cancers was significantly higher in nonmetropolitan counties after controlling for smoking (16.7 vs 15.4, p = 0.02*). Incidence rates in metropolitan, moderate radon and nonmetropolitan, moderate radon counties were similar. Nonmetropolitan, high radon counties had a significantly higher incidence of lung cancer compared to nonmetropolitan, moderate radon counties after adjustment for smoking (41.7 vs 29.2, p < 0.0001*). Lung cancer incidence patterns in Utah were opposite of metropolitan/nonmetropolitan trends in other SEER sites. Lung cancer incidence and distant stage incidence rates were consistently higher in nonmetropolitan Utah counties than metropolitan counties, suggesting that limited access to preventative screenings may play a role in this disparity. Smoking-adjusted incidence rates in nonmetropolitan, high radon counties were significantly higher than moderate radon counties, suggesting that radon was also major contributor to lung cancer in these regions. National studies should account for geographic and environmental factors when examining nonmetropolitan/metropolitan differences in lung cancer.

PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air: a focus on the effect of meteorology.

PubMed

Giakoumi, A; Maggos, Th; Michopoulos, J; Helmis, C; Vasilakos, Ch

2009-05-01

PM(2.5) and VOCs (benzene, toluene, m-p-o-xylenes) concentrations were measured in an urban and a suburban site in Athens, Greece, during the period between April and November 2004. This period, which is considered to be the warmer period in Greece, is characterized by the development of sea-breeze over the Attica Basin. Additionally strong Northern, North-eastern winds called "The Etesians", predominate during the summer months (July-August), acting positively to the dispersion of pollutants. In this campaign, 24 days with sea-breeze development were observed, 15 days with northern winds, 6 days with southern winds while the rest of the days presented no specific wind profile. Maximum concentrations of PM(2.5), VOCs and nitrogen oxides, were detected during the days with sea-breeze, while minimum concentrations during the days with northern winds. Ozone was the only pollutant that appeared to have higher concentrations in the background site and not in the city centre, where benzene presented strong negative correlation with ozone, indicating the photochemical reaction of hydrocarbons that lead to the ozone formation. The BTX ratios were similar for both sites and wind profiles, indicating common sources for those pollutants. T/B ratio ranged in low levels, between 3-5 for site A and 2-5 for site B, suggesting vehicles emissions as the main sources of volatile compounds. Finally, the strong correlations of PM(2.5) and benzene concentrations, between the two sampling sites, indicate that both the city centre and the background site, are affected by the same sources, under common meteorological conditions (sea-breeze, northern winds).

Mesoscale Simulations of a Florida Sea Breeze Using the PLACE Land Surface Model Coupled to a 1.5-Order Turbulence Parameterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynn, Barry H.; Stauffer, David R.; Wetzel, Peter J.; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Perlin, Natal; Baker, R. David; Munoz, Ricardo; Boone, Aaron; Jia, Yiqin

1999-01-01

A sophisticated land-surface model, PLACE, the Parameterization for Land Atmospheric Convective Exchange, has been coupled to a 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) turbulence sub-model. Both have been incorporated into the Penn State/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. Such model improvements should have their greatest effect in conditions where surface contrasts dominate over dynamic processes, such as the simulation of warm-season, convective events. A validation study used the newly coupled model, MM5 TKE-PLACE, to simulate the evolution of Florida sea-breeze moist convection during the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CaPE). Overall, eight simulations tested the sensitivity of the MM5 model to combinations of the new and default model physics, and initialization of soil moisture and temperature. The TKE-PLACE model produced more realistic surface sensible heat flux, lower biases for surface variables, more realistic rainfall, and cloud cover than the default model. Of the 8 simulations with different factors (i.e., model physics or initialization), TKE-PLACE compared very well when each simulation was ranked in terms of biases of the surface variables and rainfall, and percent and root mean square of cloud cover. A factor separation analysis showed that a successful simulation required the inclusion of a multi-layered, land surface soil vegetation model, realistic initial soil moisture, and higher order closure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). These were needed to realistically model the effect of individual, joint, and synergistic contributions from the land surface and PBL on the CAPE sea-breeze, Lake Okeechobee lake breeze, and moist convection.

Rockot-an available launch system for affordable access to space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, U.; Kinnersley, M.; Freeborn, P.

2000-01-01

The Rockot launcher will perform its fifth launch, the first commercial launch, in Spring 2000 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia carrying two American satellites into a LEO orbit. In preparation for that a launch pad verification flight will be carried out in November this year to prove the functionality of the adapted facilities at the Plesetsk launch site and by placing a Russian satellite into a highly inclined orbit. The results of the launches will be described in detail in the paper as well as the installations at the launch site. Eurockot, the German-Russian joint-venture company marketing and managing the Rockot launch vehicle is meanwhile an integral part of the space launch community. Eurockot was formed by DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. A brief overview of its activities, the commercial program and the performance/services offered by Eurockot is presented. Rockot can launch satellites weighing up to 1850 kg into polar or other low earth orbits (LEO). The Rockot launch vehicle is based on the former Russian SS-19 strategic missile. The first and second stages are inherited from the SS-19, the third stage Breeze which has already been developed has multiple ignition capability. The Breeze upper stage is under production at Khrunichev in Moscow. The Rockot launch system is flight proven and is operated from the Plesetsk as well as from the Baikonur launch site. .

3D Structures of the Sea-Breeze Front in Dual-Doppler Lidar Analysis and a State-of-the-Art Modeling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G.; Iwai, H.; Seko, H.; Saito, K. K.; Sha, W.; Iwasaki, T.

2017-12-01

Sea breeze occurs at coastal regions around the world, with great impacts on the weather and air quality. Observations and forecasts of the fine-scale structures and local impacts of sea-breeze front (SBF) are a challenge. Three-dimensional structures of a quasi-stationary SBF were observed by dual-Doppler lidar over Sendai Airport in June 2007. Using a state-of-the-art local prediction system in which a computational fluid dynamics model is nested to a mesoscale model with data assimilation, we perform a realistic simulation of the observed SBF structures at 10-m resolution. Numerical simulations reproduce the detailed features of the SBF, such as frontal lobes/clefts, intense updrafts, rear downdrafts, and Kelvin-Helmholtz billows, consistent with lidar observations. Several localized maxima of updrafts occur at the active SBF lobes with ascending marine air mass and adjacent windward sides, where the ambient warm flows encounter a steep front face and penetrate SBF aloft. Strong downdrafts of marine cool air dominate at the SBF rear where they trap a high concentration of air pollutants. These features are regularly activated by the arc-shaped gravity currents at a horizontal scale of several kilometers and a period of 30 minutes. They are also influenced by the coastal buildings and strongly regulate the spatio-temporal variations of local winds near surface. The findings suggest that a novel full-scale nested prediction system has potential for forecasting coastal weather and environment at high precision, which are valuable for aviation safety, marine activities, and air quality monitoring. AcknowledgmentsThis study was supported by the Strategic Programs for Innovative Research (SPIRE) funded by the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The numerical calculations were performed using the K computer at RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science (Proposal numbers hp130012 and hp140220). The observational data were collected in a field experiment funded by the MEXT (PI: Prof. T. Iwasaki, 19204046) through the collaboration of NICT, ENRI, JAXA, and Tohoku University.

Complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors registry data in the United States compared with other common cancers, 2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Adah S.; Ostrom, Quinn T.; Kruchko, Carol

Complete prevalence proportions illustrate the burden of disease in a population. Here, this study estimates the 2010 complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors overall and by Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) histology groups, and compares the brain tumor prevalence estimates to the complete prevalence of other common cancers as determined by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) by age at prevalence (2010): children (0–14 y), adolescent and young adult (AYA) (15–39 y), and adult (40+ y).

Complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors registry data in the United States compared with other common cancers, 2010

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Adah S.; Ostrom, Quinn T.; Kruchko, Carol; ...

2016-12-29

Complete prevalence proportions illustrate the burden of disease in a population. Here, this study estimates the 2010 complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors overall and by Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) histology groups, and compares the brain tumor prevalence estimates to the complete prevalence of other common cancers as determined by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) by age at prevalence (2010): children (0–14 y), adolescent and young adult (AYA) (15–39 y), and adult (40+ y).

Impact of Extent of Surgery on Survival for Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients Younger Than 45 Years

PubMed Central

Abdelgadir Adam, Mohamed; Pura, John; Goffredo, Paolo; Dinan, Michaela A.; Hyslop, Terry; Reed, Shelby D.; Scheri, Randall P.; Sosa, Julie A.

2015-01-01

Context: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients <45 years old are considered to have an excellent prognosis; however, current guidelines recommend total thyroidectomy for PTC tumors >1.0 cm, regardless of age. Objective: Our objective was to examine the impact of extent of surgery on overall survival (OS) in patients <45 years old with stage I PTC of 1.1 to 4.0 cm. Design, Setting, and Patients: Adult patients <45 years of age undergoing surgery for stage I PTC were identified from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB, 1998–2006) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results dataset (SEER, 1988–2006). Main Outcome Measure: Multivariable modeling was used to compare OS for patients undergoing total thyroidectomy vs lobectomy. Results: In total, 29 522 patients in NCDB (3151 lobectomy, 26 371 total thyroidectomy) and 13 510 in SEER (1379 lobectomy, 12 131 total thyroidectomy) were included. Compared with patients undergoing lobectomy, patients having total thyroidectomy more often had extrathyroidal and lymph node disease. At 14 years, unadjusted OS was equivalent between total thyroidectomy and lobectomy in both databases. After adjustment, OS was similar for total thyroidectomy compared with lobectomy across all patients with tumors of 1.1 to 4.0 cm (NCDB: hazard ratio = 1.45 [confidence interval = 0.88–2.51], P = 0.19; SEER: 0.95 (0.70–1.29), P = 0.75) and when stratified by tumor size: 1.1 to 2.0 cm (NCDB: 1.12 [0.50–2.51], P = 0.78; SEER: 0.95 [0.56–1.62], P = 0.86) and 2.1 to 4.0 cm (NCDB: 1.93 [0.88–4.23], P = 0.10; SEER: 0.94 [0.60–1.49], P = 0.80). Conclusions: After adjusting for patient and clinical characteristics, total thyroidectomy compared with thyroid lobectomy was not associated with improved survival for patients <45 years of age with stage I PTC of 1.1 to 4.0 cm. Additional clinical and pathologic factors should be considered when choosing extent of resection. PMID:25337927

Analysis of SEER Adenosquamous Carcinoma Data to Identify Cause Specific Survival Predictors and Socioeconomic Disparities.

PubMed

Cheung, Rex

2016-01-01

This study used receiver operating characteristic curve to analyze Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) adenosquamous carcinoma data to identify predictive models and potential disparities in outcome. This study analyzed socio-economic, staging and treatment factors available in the SEER database for adenosquamous carcinoma. For the risk modeling, each factor was fitted by a generalized linear model to predict the cause specific survival. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was computed. Similar strata were combined to construct the most parsimonious models. A total of 20,712 patients diagnosed from 1973 to 2009 were included in this study. The mean follow up time (S.D.) was 54.2 (78.4) months. Some 2/3 of the patients were female. The mean (S.D.) age was 63 (13.8) years. SEER stage was the most predictive factor of outcome (ROC area of 0.71). 13.9% of the patients were un-staged and had risk of cause specific death of 61.3% that was higher than the 45.3% risk for the regional disease and lower than the 70.3% for metastatic disease. Sex, site, radiotherapy, and surgery had ROC areas of about 0.55-0.65. Rural residence and race contributed to socioeconomic disparity for treatment outcome. Radiotherapy was underused even with localized and regional stages when the intent was curative. This under use was most pronounced in older patients. Anatomic stage was predictive and useful in treatment selection. Under-staging may have contributed to poor outcome.

Identification of SSEA-1 expressing enhanced reprogramming (SEER) cells in porcine embryonic fibroblasts

PubMed Central

Li, Dong; Secher, Jan O.; Mashayekhi, Kaveh; Nielsen, Troels T.; Hyttel, Poul; Freude, Kristine K.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that a subpopulation of cells within cultured human dermal fibroblasts, termed multilineage-differentiating stress enduring (Muse) cells, are preferentially reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells. However, controversy exists over whether these cells are the only cells capable of being reprogrammed from a heterogeneous population of fibroblasts. Similarly, there is little research to suggest such cells may exist in embryonic tissues or other species. To address if such a cell population exists in pigs, we investigated porcine embryonic fibroblast populations (pEFs) and identified heterogeneous expression of several key cell surface markers. Strikingly, we discovered a small population of stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 positive cells (SSEA-1+) in Danish Landrace and Göttingen minipig pEFs, which were absent in the Yucatan pEFs. Furthermore, reprogramming of SSEA-1+ sorted pEFs led to higher reprogramming efficiency. Subsequent transcriptome profiling of the SSEA-1+ vs. the SSEA-1neg cell fraction revealed highly comparable gene signatures. However several genes that were found to be upregulated in the SSEA-1+ cells were similarly expressed in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We therefore termed these cells SSEA-1 Expressing Enhanced Reprogramming (SEER) cells. Interestingly, SEER cells were more effective at differentiating into osteocytes and chondrocytes in vitro. We conclude that SEER cells are more amenable for reprogramming and that the expression of mesenchymal stem cell genes is advantageous in the reprogramming process. This data provides evidence supporting the elite theory and helps to delineate which cell types and specific genes are important for reprogramming in the pig. PMID:28426281

Influence of morphology on survival for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Europe and the United States.

PubMed

Sant, Milena; Allemani, Claudia; De Angelis, Roberta; Carbone, Antonino; de Sanjosè, Silvia; Gianni, Alessandro M; Giraldo, Pilar; Marchesi, Francesca; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Martos-Jiménez, Carmen; Maynadié, Marc; Raphael, Martine; Berrino, Franco

2008-03-01

We explored the influence of morphology on geographic differences in 5-year survival for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) diagnosed in 1990-1994 and followed for 5years: 16,955 cases from 27 EUROCARE-3 cancer registries, and 22,713 cases from 9 US SEER registries. Overall 5-year relative survival was 56.1% in EUROCARE west, 47.1% in EUROCARE east and 56.3% in SEER. Relative excess risk (RER) of death was 1.05 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.10) in EUROCARE west, 1.52 (95% CI 1.44-1.60) in EUROCARE east (SEER reference). Excess risk of death was significantly above reference (diffuse B lymphoma) for Burkitt's and NOS lymphoma; not different for lymphoblastic and other T-cell; significantly below reference (in the order of decreasing relative excess risk) for NHL NOS, mantle cell/centrocytic, lymphoplasmacytic, follicular, small lymphocytic/chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, other specified NHL and cutaneous morphologies. Interpretation of marked variation in survival with morphology is complicated by classification inconsistencies. The completeness and standardisation of cancer registry morphology data needs to be improved.

Hourly simulation of a Ground-Coupled Heat Pump system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naldi, C.; Zanchini, E.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a MATLAB code for the hourly simulation of a whole Ground-Coupled Heat Pump (GCHP) system, based on the g-functions previously obtained by Zanchini and Lazzari. The code applies both to on-off heat pumps and to inverter-driven ones. It is employed to analyse the effects of the inverter and of the total length of the Borehole Heat Exchanger (BHE) field on the mean seasonal COP (SCOP) and on the mean seasonal EER (SEER) of a GCHP system designed for a residential house with 6 apartments in Bologna, North-Center Italy, with dominant heating loads. A BHE field with 3 in line boreholes is considered, with length of each BHE either 75 m or 105 m. The results show that the increase of the BHE length yields a SCOP enhancement of about 7%, while the SEER remains nearly unchanged. The replacement of the on-off heat pump by an inverter-driven one yields a SCOP enhancement of about 30% and a SEER enhancement of about 50%. The results demonstrate the importance of employing inverter-driven heat pumps for GCHP systems.

Complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors registry data in the United States compared with other common cancers, 2010

PubMed Central

Zhang, Adah S.; Ostrom, Quinn T.; Kruchko, Carol; Rogers, Lisa; Peereboom, David M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background. Complete prevalence proportions illustrate the burden of disease in a population. This study estimates the 2010 complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors overall and by Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) histology groups, and compares the brain tumor prevalence estimates to the complete prevalence of other common cancers as determined by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) by age at prevalence (2010): children (0–14 y), adolescent and young adult (AYA) (15–39 y), and adult (40+ y). Methods. Complete prevalence proportions were estimated using a novel regression method extended from the Completeness Index Method, which combines survival and incidence data from multiple sources. In this study, two datasets, CBTRUS and SEER, were used to calculate complete prevalence estimates of interest. Results. Complete prevalence for malignant primary brain tumors was 47.59/100000 population (22.31, 48.49, and 57.75/100000 for child, AYA, and adult populations). The most prevalent cancers by age were childhood leukemia (36.65/100000), AYA melanoma of the skin (66.21/100000), and adult female breast (1949.00/100000). The most prevalent CBTRUS histologies in children and AYA were pilocytic astrocytoma (6.82/100000, 5.92/100000), and glioblastoma (12.76/100000) in adults. Conclusions. The relative impact of malignant primary brain tumors is higher among children than any other age group; it emerges as the second most prevalent cancer among children. Complete prevalence estimates for primary malignant brain tumors fills a gap in overall cancer knowledge, which provides critical information toward public health and health care planning, including treatment, decision making, funding, and advocacy programs. PMID:28039365

A Multi-faceted Approach to Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes in a Rural Population, and the Potential Impact of Patient Navigation.

PubMed

Petereit, Daniel; Omidpanah, Adam; Boylan, Amy; Kussman, Patricia; Baldwin, Denise; Banik, Deborah; Minton, Mary; Eastmo, Eric; Clemments, Paul; Guadagnolo, B Ashleigh

2016-06-01

The mastectomy rate in rural areas of the Northern Plains of the U.S. was 64 percent from 2000 through 2005. We implemented a breast cancer patient navigation (BPN) program in May 2007 to increase breast conservation (BC) rates. We analyzed mastectomy and BC rates among our 1,466 patients with either ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or stage I/II invasive breast cancer treated from 2000 through 2012. We used interrupted time series (ITS) to compare rates in treatment following implementation of BPN. In addition, breast conservation rates were compared to population data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The BC rates were 56 percent for navigated patients versus 37 percent for non-navigated patients (95 percent CI for difference: 14.8 to 25.6 percent). There was a consistent annual increase in treatment with BC versus a mastectomy (+2.9 percent/year, p-trend < 0.001). The BC rate of 60 percent in 2012 now mirrors those observed in the SEER database. The ITS did not find that the change in BC rates over time was significantly attributable to implementation of the BPN. Other secular trends may have contributed to the change in BC rates over time. A number of factors may have contributed to an increase of BC rates over time, including physician and patient education, more radiation therapy options, and possibly a dedicated breast cancer PN program. This analysis demonstrates that overall breast cancer care among this rural and medically-underserved population is improving in our region and now parallels other regions of the country.

Bayesian pretest probability estimation for primary malignant bone tumors based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) database.

PubMed

Benndorf, Matthias; Neubauer, Jakob; Langer, Mathias; Kotter, Elmar

2017-03-01

In the diagnostic process of primary bone tumors, patient age, tumor localization and to a lesser extent sex affect the differential diagnosis. We therefore aim to develop a pretest probability calculator for primary malignant bone tumors based on population data taking these variables into account. We access the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute, 2015 release) database and analyze data of all primary malignant bone tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2012. We record age at diagnosis, tumor localization according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-O-3) and sex. We take relative probability of the single tumor entity as a surrogate parameter for unadjusted pretest probability. We build a probabilistic (naïve Bayes) classifier to calculate pretest probabilities adjusted for age, tumor localization and sex. We analyze data from 12,931 patients (647 chondroblastic osteosarcomas, 3659 chondrosarcomas, 1080 chordomas, 185 dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas, 2006 Ewing's sarcomas, 281 fibroblastic osteosarcomas, 129 fibrosarcomas, 291 fibrous malignant histiocytomas, 289 malignant giant cell tumors, 238 myxoid chondrosarcomas, 3730 osteosarcomas, 252 parosteal osteosarcomas, 144 telangiectatic osteosarcomas). We make our probability calculator accessible at http://ebm-radiology.com/bayesbone/index.html . We provide exhaustive tables for age and localization data. Results from tenfold cross-validation show that in 79.8 % of cases the pretest probability is correctly raised. Our approach employs population data to calculate relative pretest probabilities for primary malignant bone tumors. The calculator is not diagnostic in nature. However, resulting probabilities might serve as an initial evaluation of probabilities of tumors on the differential diagnosis list.

Observations of cancer incidence surveillance in Duluth, Minnesota.

PubMed Central

Sigurdson, E E

1983-01-01

In 1973, amphibole asbestos fibers were discovered in the municipal water supply of Duluth, Minnesota. The entire city population of approximately 100,000 was exposed from the late 1950s through 1976 at levels of 1-65 million fibers per liter of water. Because of previous epidemiologic studies that linked mesothelioma, lung and gastrointestinal cancers to occupational exposure to asbestos, surveillance of cancer incidence in residents of Duluth was initiated to determine the health effect from ingestion of asbestos. The methodology of the Third National Cancer Survey (TNCS) and SEER Program was used. Duluth 1969-1971 rates were compared with TNCS rates for the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul during 1969-1971; Duluth rates during 1974-1976 are compared with Duluth 1969-1971; Duluth rates during 1979-1980 are compared with Duluth 1969-1971 and with Iowa SEER; and a table of the occurrence of malignant mesothelioma is presented. Statistically significant excesses are observed in several primary sites in Duluth residents. However, lung cancer in Duluth females is the only primary site considered also of biological significance. The mesothelioma incidence rate is no more than expected. This paper also describes the problems of long-term surveillance of exposed populations considered at risk of environment cancer, the need for improved study methodologies and the use of federal records for follow up of exposed individuals. PMID:6662096

American-Indian diabetes mortality in the Great Plains Region 2002–2010

PubMed Central

Kelley, Allyson; Giroux, Jennifer; Schulz, Mark; Aronson, Bob; Wallace, Debra; Bell, Ronny; Morrison, Sharon

2015-01-01

Objective To compare American-Indian and Caucasian mortality rates from diabetes among tribal Contract Health Service Delivery Areas (CHSDAs) in the Great Plains Region (GPR) and describe the disparities observed. Research design and methods Mortality data from the National Center for Vital Statistics and Seer*STAT were used to identify diabetes as the underlying cause of death for each decedent in the GPR from 2002 to 2010. Mortality data were abstracted and aggregated for American-Indians and Caucasians for 25 reservation CHSDAs in the GPR. Rate ratios (RR) with 95% CIs were used and SEER*Stat V.8.0.4 software calculated age-adjusted diabetes mortality rates. Results Age-adjusted mortality rates for American-Indians were significantly higher than those for Caucasians during the 8-year period. In the GPR, American-Indians were 3.44 times more likely to die from diabetes than Caucasians. South Dakota had the highest RR (5.47 times that of Caucasians), and Iowa had the lowest RR, (1.1). Reservation CHSDA RR ranged from 1.78 to 10.25. Conclusions American-Indians in the GPR have higher diabetes mortality rates than Caucasians in the GPR. Mortality rates among American-Indians persist despite special programs and initiatives aimed at reducing diabetes in these populations. Effective and immediate efforts are needed to address premature diabetes mortality among American-Indians in the GPR. PMID:25926992

Lung Cancer Survival Prediction using Ensemble Data Mining on Seer Data

DOE PAGES

Agrawal, Ankit; Misra, Sanchit; Narayanan, Ramanathan; ...

2012-01-01

We analyze the lung cancer data available from the SEER program with the aim of developing accurate survival prediction models for lung cancer. Carefully designed preprocessing steps resulted in removal/modification/splitting of several attributes, and 2 of the 11 derived attributes were found to have significant predictive power. Several supervised classification methods were used on the preprocessed data along with various data mining optimizations and validations. In our experiments, ensemble voting of five decision tree based classifiers and meta-classifiers was found to result in the best prediction performance in terms of accuracy and area under the ROC curve. We have developedmore » an on-line lung cancer outcome calculator for estimating the risk of mortality after 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 year and 5 years of diagnosis, for which a smaller non-redundant subset of 13 attributes was carefully selected using attribute selection techniques, while trying to retain the predictive power of the original set of attributes. Further, ensemble voting models were also created for predicting conditional survival outcome for lung cancer (estimating risk of mortality after 5 years of diagnosis, given that the patient has already survived for a period of time), and included in the calculator. The on-line lung cancer outcome calculator developed as a result of this study is available at http://info.eecs.northwestern.edu:8080/LungCancerOutcomeCalculator/.« less

Mortality risk from comorbidities independent of triple-negative breast cancer status: NCI-SEER-based cohort analysis.

PubMed

Swede, Helen; Sarwar, Amna; Magge, Anil; Braithwaite, Dejana; Cook, Linda S; Gregorio, David I; Jones, Beth A; R Hoag, Jessica; Gonsalves, Lou; L Salner, Andrew; Zarfos, Kristen; Andemariam, Biree; Stevens, Richard G; G Dugan, Alicia; Pensa, Mellisa; A Brockmeyer, Jessica

2016-05-01

A comparatively high prevalence of comorbidities among African-American/Blacks (AA/B) has been implicated in disparate survival in breast cancer. There is a scarcity of data, however, if this effect persists when accounting for the adverse triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype which occurs at threefold the rate in AA/B compared to white breast cancer patients. We reviewed charts of 214 white and 202 AA/B breast cancer patients in the NCI-SEER Connecticut Tumor Registry who were diagnosed in 2000-2007. We employed the Charlson Co-Morbidity Index (CCI), a weighted 17-item tool to predict risk of death in cancer populations. Cox survival analyses estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality in relation to TNBC and CCI adjusting for clinicopathological factors. Among patients with SEER local stage, TNBC increased the risk of death (HR 2.18, 95 % CI 1.14-4.16), which was attenuated when the CCI score was added to the model (Adj. HR 1.50, 95 % CI 0.74-3.01). Conversely, the adverse impact of the CCI score persisted when controlling for TNBC (Adj. HR 1.49, 95 % CI 1.29-1.71; per one point increase). Similar patterns were observed in SEER regional stage, but estimated HRs were lower. AA/B patients with a CCI score of ≥3 had a significantly higher risk of death compared to AA/B patients without comorbidities (Adj. HR 5.65, 95 % CI 2.90-11.02). A lower and nonsignificant effect was observed for whites with a CCI of ≥3 (Adj. HR 1.90, 95 % CI 0.68-5.29). comorbidities at diagnosis increase risk of death independent of TNBC, and AA/B patients may be disproportionately at risk.

Management and Survival Patterns of Patients with Gliomatosis Cerebri: A SEER-Based Analysis.

PubMed

Carroll, Kate T; Hirshman, Brian; Ali, Mir Amaan; Alattar, Ali A; Brandel, Michael G; Lochte, Bryson; Lanman, Tyler; Carter, Bob; Chen, Clark C

2017-07-01

We used the SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) database (1999-2010) to analyze the clinical practice patterns and overall survival in patients with gliomatosis cerebri (GC), or glioma involving 3 or more lobes of the cerebrum. We identified 111 patients (age ≥18 years) with clinically or microscopically diagnosed GC in the SEER database. Analyses were performed to determine clinical practice patterns for these patients and whether these practices were associated with survival. Fifty-eight percent of the 111 patients with GC received microscopic confirmation of their diagnosis. Of the remaining patients, 40% were diagnosed via imaging or laboratory tests, and 2% had unknown methods of diagnosis. Seven percent of patients who did not have microscopic confirmation of their diagnosis received radiation therapy. Radiation therapy and surgery were not associated with survival. The only variable significantly associated with overall survival was age at diagnosis. Patients aged 18-50 years showed improved survival relative to patients aged >50 years (median survival, 11 and 6 months, respectively; P = 0.03). For patients aged >50 years, improved overall survival was observed in the post-temozolomide era (2005-2010) relative to those treated in the pre-temozolomide era (1999-2004) (median survival, 9 and 4 months, respectively; P = 0.005). In the SEER database, ∼40% of the patients with glioma with imaging findings of GC do not receive microscopic confirmation of their diagnosis. We propose that tissue confirmation is warranted in patients with GC, because genomic analysis of these specimens may provide insights that will contribute to meaningful therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A model and nomogram to predict tumor site origin for squamous cell cancer confined to cervical lymph nodes.

PubMed

Ali, Arif N; Switchenko, Jeffrey M; Kim, Sungjin; Kowalski, Jeanne; El-Deiry, Mark W; Beitler, Jonathan J

2014-11-15

The current study was conducted to develop a multifactorial statistical model to predict the specific head and neck (H&N) tumor site origin in cases of squamous cell carcinoma confined to the cervical lymph nodes ("unknown primaries"). The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was analyzed for patients with an H&N tumor site who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2011. The SEER patients were identified according to their H&N primary tumor site and clinically positive cervical lymph node levels at the time of presentation. The SEER patient data set was randomly divided into 2 data sets for the purposes of internal split-sample validation. The effects of cervical lymph node levels, age, race, and sex on H&N primary tumor site were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression models and an associated set of nomograms were developed based on relevant factors to provide probabilities of tumor site origin. Analysis of the SEER database identified 20,011 patients with H&N disease with both site-level and lymph node-level data. Sex, race, age, and lymph node levels were associated with primary H&N tumor site (nasopharynx, hypopharynx, oropharynx, and larynx) in the multivariate models. Internal validation techniques affirmed the accuracy of these models on separate data. The incorporation of epidemiologic and lymph node data into a predictive model has the potential to provide valuable guidance to clinicians in the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma confined to the cervical lymph nodes. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society.

Effect of marital status on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with surgical resection: an analysis of 13,408 patients in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database.

PubMed

Wu, Chao; Chen, Ping; Qian, Jian-Jun; Jin, Sheng-Jie; Yao, Jie; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Bai, Dou-Sheng; Jiang, Guo-Qing

2016-11-29

Marital status has been reported as an independent prognostic factor for survival in various cancers, but it has been rarely studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by surgical resection. We retrospectively investigated Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based data and identified 13,408 cases of HCC with surgical treatment between 1998 and 2013. The patients were categorized according to marital status, as "married," "never married," "widowed," or "divorced/separated." The 5-year HCC cause-specific survival (HCSS) data were obtained, and Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate Cox regression models were used to ascertain whether marital status is also an independent prognostic factor for survival in HCC. Patients in the widowed group had the higher proportion of women, a greater proportion of older (>60 years) patients, more frequency in latest year of diagnosis (2008-2013), a greater number of tumors at TNM stage I/II, and more prevalence at localized SEER Stage, all of which were statistically significant within-group comparisons (P < 0.001). Marital status was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate survival analysis (P < 0.001). Married patients had better 5-year HCSS than did unmarried patients (46.7% vs 37.8%) (P < 0.001); conversely, widowed patients had lowest HCSS compared with all other patients, overall, at each SEER stage, and for different tumor sizes. Marital status is an important prognostic factor for survival in patients with HCC treated with surgical resection. Widowed patients have the highest risk of death compared with other groups.

Nomogram for predicting the benefit of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer: a SEER-Medicare analysis.

PubMed

Eil, Robert; Diggs, Brian S; Wang, Samuel J; Dolan, James P; Hunter, John G; Thomas, Charles R

2014-02-15

The survival impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on esophageal cancer remains difficult to establish for specific patients. The aim of the current study was to create a Web-based prediction tool providing individualized survival projections based on tumor and treatment data. Patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer between 1997 and 2005 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. The covariates analyzed were sex, T and N classification, histology, total number of lymph nodes examined, and treatment with esophagectomy or CRT followed by esophagectomy. After propensity score weighting, a log-logistic regression model for overall survival was selected based on the Akaike information criterion. A total of 824 patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with esophagectomy or trimodal therapy met the selection criteria. On multivariate analysis, age, sex, T and N classification, number of lymph nodes examined, treatment, and histology were found to be significantly associated with overall survival and were included in the regression analysis. Preoperative staging data and final surgical margin status were not available within the SEER-Medicare data set and therefore were not included. The model predicted that patients with T4 or lymph node disease benefitted from CRT. The internally validated concordance index was 0.72. The SEER-Medicare database of patients with esophageal cancer can be used to produce a survival prediction tool that: 1) serves as a counseling and decision aid to patients and 2) assists in risk modeling. Patients with T4 or lymph node disease appeared to benefit from CRT. This nomogram may underestimate the benefit of CRT due to its variable downstaging effect on pathologic stage. It is available at skynet.ohsu.edu/nomograms. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Effects of sex on the incidence and prognosis of spinal meningiomas: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results study.

PubMed

Westwick, Harrison J; Shamji, Mohammed F

2015-09-01

Most spinal meningiomas are intradural lesions in the thoracic spine that present with both local pain and myelopathy. By using the large prospective Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, the authors studied the incidence of spinal meningiomas and examined demographic and treatment factors predictive of death. Using SEER*Stat software, the authors queried the SEER database for cases of spinal meningioma between 2000 and 2010. From the results, tumor incidence and demographic statistics were computed; incidence was analyzed as a function of tumor location, pathology, age, sex, and malignancy code. Survival was analyzed by using a Cox proportional hazards ratio in SPSS for age, sex, marital status, primary site, size quartile, treatment modality, and malignancy code. In this analysis, significance was set at a p value of 0.05. The 1709 spinal meningiomas reported in the SEER database represented 30.7% of all primary intradural spinal tumors and 7.9% of all meningiomas. These meningiomas occurred at an age-adjusted incidence of 0.193 (95% CI 0.183-0.202) per 100,000 population and were closely related to sex (337 [19.7%] male patients and 1372 [80.3%] female patients). The Cox hazard function for mortality in males was higher (2.4 [95% CI1.7-3.5]) and statistically significant, despite the lower lesion incidence in males. All-cause survival was lowest in patients older than 80 years. Primary site and treatment modality were not significant predictors of mortality. Spinal meningiomas represent a significant fraction of all primary intradural spinal tumors and of all meningiomas. The results of this study establish the association of lesion incidence and survival with sex, with a less frequent incidence in but greater mortality among males.

Impact of aging on host immune response and survival in melanoma: an analysis of 3 patient cohorts.

PubMed

Weiss, Sarah A; Han, Joseph; Darvishian, Farbod; Tchack, Jeremy; Han, Sung Won; Malecek, Karolina; Krogsgaard, Michelle; Osman, Iman; Zhong, Judy

2016-10-19

Age has been reported as an independent prognostic factor for melanoma-specific survival (MSS). We tested the hypothesis that age impacts the host anti-tumor immune response, accounting for age-specific survival outcomes in three unique melanoma patient cohorts. We queried the U.S. population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), the prospective tertiary care hospital-based Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG) biorepository, and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) biospecimen database to test the association of patient age at time of melanoma diagnosis with clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes. Age groups were defined as ≤45 (young), 46-65 (intermediate), and >65 (older). Each age group in the IMCG and TCGA cohorts was stratified by tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) measurements and tested for association with MSS. Differential expression of 594 immunoregulatory genes was assessed in a subset of primary melanomas in the IMCG and TCGA cohorts using an integrative pathway analysis. We analyzed 304, 476 (SEER), 1241 (IMCG), and 292 (TCGA) patients. Increasing age at melanoma diagnosis in both the SEER and IMCG cohorts demonstrated a positive correlation with tumor thickness, ulceration, stage, and mortality, however age in the TCGA cohort did not correlate with mortality. Older age was associated with shorter MSS in all three cohorts. When the young age group in both the IMCG and TCGA cohorts was stratified by TIL status, there were no differences in MSS. However, older IMCG patients with brisk TILs and intermediate aged TCGA patients with high lymphocyte scores (3-6) had improved MSS. Gene expression analysis revealed top pathways (T cell trafficking, communication, and differentiation) and top upstream regulators (CD3, CD28, IFNG, and STAT3) that significantly changed with age in 84 IMCG and 43 TCGA primary melanomas. Older age at time of melanoma diagnosis is associated with shorter MSS, however age's association with clinicopathologic features is dependent upon specific characteristics of the study population. TIL as a read-out of the host immune response may have greater prognostic impact in patients older than age 45. Recognition of age-related factors negatively impacting host immune responses may provide new insights into therapeutic strategies for the elderly.

Cutaneous soft tissue sarcoma incidence patterns in the U.S. : an analysis of 12,114 cases.

PubMed

Rouhani, Panta; Fletcher, Christopher D M; Devesa, Susan S; Toro, Jorge R

2008-08-01

Cutaneous soft tissue sarcomas (CSTS) are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal neoplasms. To the authors' knowledge, no prior large, population-based study has focused on CSTS. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program incidence and relative survival rates of CSTS were analyzed according to race, sex, and histologic type using the 2002 criteria of the World Health Organization classification. Among residents of the 13 SEER registries, 12,114 CSTS were diagnosed from 1992 through 2004. Overall age-adjusted CSTS incidence rates were highest among blacks (30.8 per 1,000,000 person-years) followed by whites (25 per 1,000,000 person-years), and American Indians/Alaska Natives (11.2 per 1,000,000 person-years) and were lowest among Asian/Pacific Islanders (7.7 per 1,000,000 person-years). Kaposi sarcoma (KS) accounted for 71.1% of cases, and the rates were similarly ranked. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) rates also were highest among blacks, whereas leiomyosarcoma (LS) and angiosarcoma (AS) rates were highest among whites. The rate ratio of men to women was 25.5 for KS, 4.7 for malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), 3.7 for LS, 2.0 for AS, and 0.9 for DFSP. The 5-year relative survival rates were 99% for patients with DFSP, 89% for patients with MFH, 92% for patients with LS, and 45% for patients with AS. KS rates among men in the original 9 SEER registries increased more than 30-fold during the 1980s before they peaked around 1991 and subsequently declined rapidly because of human immunodeficiency virus-associated KS and highly active antiretroviral therapy. This KS pattern was evident not only among those ages 20 to 59 years but also among those ages 60 to 69 years. From 1978 through 2004, LS and AS rates among whites increased exponentially. CSTS rates varied markedly over time and by race, sex, and histologic type, supporting the notion that these histologic variants of CSTS areetiologically distinct. (c) 2008 American Cancer Society

Prediction of lung cancer patient survival via supervised machine learning classification techniques.

PubMed

Lynch, Chip M; Abdollahi, Behnaz; Fuqua, Joshua D; de Carlo, Alexandra R; Bartholomai, James A; Balgemann, Rayeanne N; van Berkel, Victor H; Frieboes, Hermann B

2017-12-01

Outcomes for cancer patients have been previously estimated by applying various machine learning techniques to large datasets such as the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program database. In particular for lung cancer, it is not well understood which types of techniques would yield more predictive information, and which data attributes should be used in order to determine this information. In this study, a number of supervised learning techniques is applied to the SEER database to classify lung cancer patients in terms of survival, including linear regression, Decision Trees, Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and a custom ensemble. Key data attributes in applying these methods include tumor grade, tumor size, gender, age, stage, and number of primaries, with the goal to enable comparison of predictive power between the various methods The prediction is treated like a continuous target, rather than a classification into categories, as a first step towards improving survival prediction. The results show that the predicted values agree with actual values for low to moderate survival times, which constitute the majority of the data. The best performing technique was the custom ensemble with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value of 15.05. The most influential model within the custom ensemble was GBM, while Decision Trees may be inapplicable as it had too few discrete outputs. The results further show that among the five individual models generated, the most accurate was GBM with an RMSE value of 15.32. Although SVM underperformed with an RMSE value of 15.82, statistical analysis singles the SVM as the only model that generated a distinctive output. The results of the models are consistent with a classical Cox proportional hazards model used as a reference technique. We conclude that application of these supervised learning techniques to lung cancer data in the SEER database may be of use to estimate patient survival time with the ultimate goal to inform patient care decisions, and that the performance of these techniques with this particular dataset may be on par with that of classical methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scaling and Numerical Model Evaluation of Snow-Cover Effects on the Generation and Modification of Daytime Mesoscale Circulations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segal, M.; Garratt, J. R.; Pielke, R. A.; Ye, Z.

1991-04-01

Consideration of the sensible heat flux characteristics over a snow surface suggests a significant diminution in the magnitude of the flux, compared to that over a snow-free surface under the same environmental conditions. Consequently, the existence of snow-covered mesoscale areas adjacent to snow-free areas produces horizontal thermal gradients in the lower atmosphere during the daytime, possibly resulting in a `snow breeze.' In addition, suppression of the daytime thermally induced upslope flow over snow-covered slopes is likely to occur. The present paper provides scaling and modeling evaluations of these situations, with quantification of the generated and modified circulations. These evaluations suggest that under ideal situations involved with uniform snow cover over large areas, particularly in late winter and early spring, a noticeable `snow breeze' is likely to develop. Additionally: suppression of the daytime thermally induced upslope flow is significant and may even result in a daytime drainage flow. The effects of bare ground patchiness in the snow cover on these circulations are also explored, both for flat terrain and slope-flow situations. A patchiness fraction greater than 0.5 is found to result in a noticeably reduced snow-breeze circulation, while a patchiness fraction of only 0.1 caused the simulated daytime drainage flow over slopes to he reversed.

Contour Error Map Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merceret, Francis; Lane, John; Immer, Christopher; Case, Jonathan; Manobianco, John

2005-01-01

The contour error map (CEM) algorithm and the software that implements the algorithm are means of quantifying correlations between sets of time-varying data that are binarized and registered on spatial grids. The present version of the software is intended for use in evaluating numerical weather forecasts against observational sea-breeze data. In cases in which observational data come from off-grid stations, it is necessary to preprocess the observational data to transform them into gridded data. First, the wind direction is gridded and binarized so that D(i,j;n) is the input to CEM based on forecast data and d(i,j;n) is the input to CEM based on gridded observational data. Here, i and j are spatial indices representing 1.25-km intervals along the west-to-east and south-to-north directions, respectively; and n is a time index representing 5-minute intervals. A binary value of D or d = 0 corresponds to an offshore wind, whereas a value of D or d = 1 corresponds to an onshore wind. CEM includes two notable subalgorithms: One identifies and verifies sea-breeze boundaries; the other, which can be invoked optionally, performs an image-erosion function for the purpose of attempting to eliminate river-breeze contributions in the wind fields.

Sea-town interactions over Marseille: 3D urban boundary layer and thermodynamic fields near the surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemonsu, A.; Pigeon, G.; Masson, V.; Moppert, C.

2006-02-01

3D numerical simulations with the Meso-NH atmospheric model including the Town Energy Balance urban parameterization, are conducted over the south-east of France and the one million inhabitants city of Marseille in the frameworks of the ESCOMPTE-UBL program. The geographic situation of the area is relatively complex, because of the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea and the presence of numerous massifs, inducing complex meteorological flows. The present work is focused on six days of the campaign, characterized by the development of strong summer sea-breeze circulations. A complete evaluation of the model is initially realized at both regional- and city-scales, by using the large available database. The regional evaluation shows a good behavior of the model, during the six days of simulation, either for the parameters near the surface or for the vertical profiles describing the structure of the atmosphere. The urban-scale evaluation indicates that the fine structure of the horizontal fields of air temperature above the city is correctly simulated by the model. A specific attention is then pointed to the 250-m horizontal resolution outputs, focused on the Marseille area, for two days of the campaign. From the study of the vertical structure of the Urban Boundary Layer and the thermodynamic fields near the surface, one underscores the important differences due to the regional and local flows, and the complex interactions that occur between the urban effects and the effects of sea breezes.

Effects of Explicit Urban-Canopy Representation on Local Circulations Above a Tropical Mega-City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Rojas, José L.; Pereira Filho, Augusto J.; Karam, Hugo A.; Vemado, Felipe; Masson, Valéry

2018-01-01

The Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) is coupled with the tropical town energy budget (tTEB) scheme to analyze the effects of the urban canopy circulation over the metropolitan area of São Paulo and its interactions with the sea breeze and mountain-valley circulation in the eastern state of São Paulo, Brazil. Two experiments are carried out for the typical sea-breeze event occurring on 22 August 2014 under weak synoptic forcing and clear-sky conditions: (a) a control run with the default semi-desert surface parametrization and; (b) a tTEB run for the urban canopy of São Paulo. A realistic land-use database over the south-eastern domain of Brazil is used in the downscaling simulation to a horizontal grid resolution of 3 km. Our results indicate that ARPS effectively simulates features of the nighttime and early morning land-breeze circulation, which is affected by the surrounding hills and the nocturnal heat island of São Paulo. By early afternoon, the south-eastern sea-breeze circulation moves inland perpendicular to the upslope of the Serra do Mar scarp, which generates a line of moisture convergence and updrafts further inland. Later, the convergence line reaches São Paulo and interacts with the circulation arising from the urban heat island (UHI), which increases the moisture convergence and strength of updrafts. The surface energy balance indicates that the UHI is caused by large sensible heat storage within the urban canopy during the day, which is later released in the afternoon and at night. The simulations are verified with available radiosonde and surface weather station data, land-surface-temperature estimates from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, as well as the National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis databases. The three-dimensional geometry of the urban canyons within the tTEB scheme consistently improves the thermodynamically-induced circulation over São Paulo.

Some Observational and Modeling Studies of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer at Mississippi Gulf Coast for Air Pollution Dispersion Assessment

PubMed Central

Yerramilli, Anjaneyulu; Challa, Venkata Srinivas; Indracanti, Jayakumar; Dasari, Hariprasad; Baham, Julius; Patrick, Chuck; Young, John; Hughes, Robert; White, Lorren D.; Hardy, Mark G.; Swanier, Shelton

2008-01-01

Coastal atmospheric conditions widely vary from those over inland due to the land-sea interface, temperature contrast and the consequent development of local circulations. In this study a field meteorological experiment was conducted to measure vertical structure of boundary layer during the period 25–29 June, 2007 at three locations Seabee base, Harrison and Wiggins sites in the Mississippi coast. A GPS Sonde along with slow ascent helium balloon and automated weather stations equipped with slow and fast response sensors were used in the experiment. GPS sonde were launched at three specific times (0700 LT, 1300 LT and 1800 LT) during the experiment days. The observations indicate shallow boundary layer near the coast which gradually develops inland. The weather research and forecasting (WRF) meso-scale atmospheric model and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (HYSPLIT) are used to simulate the lower atmospheric flow and dispersion in a range of 100 km from the coast for 28–30 June, 2007. The simulated meteorological parameters were compared with the experimental observations. The meso-scale model results show significant temporal and spatial variations in the meteorological fields as a result of development of sea breeze flow, its coupling with the large scale flow field and the ensuing alteration in the mixing depth across the coast. Simulated ground-level concentrations of SO2 from four elevated point sources located along the coast indicate diurnal variation and impact of the local sea-land breeze on the direction of the plume. Model concentration levels were highest during the stable morning condition and during the sea-breeze time in the afternoon. The highest concentrations were found up to 40 km inland during sea breeze time. The study illustrates the application of field meteorological observations for the validation of WRF which is coupled to HYSPLIT for dispersion assessment in the coastal region. PMID:19151446

Comparison of the safety-related physical and combustion properties of liquid hydrogen and liquid natural gas in the context of the SF-BREEZE high-speed fuel-cell ferry

DOE PAGES

Klebanoff, L. E.; Pratt, J. W.; LaFleur, C. B.

2016-11-25

Here, we review liquid hydrogen (LH 2) as a maritime vessel fuel, from descriptions of its fundamental properties to its practical application and safety aspects, in the context of the San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions (SF-BREEZE) high-speed fuel-cell ferry. Since marine regulations have been formulated to cover liquid natural gas (LNG) as a primary propulsion fuel, we frame our examination of LH 2 as a comparison to LNG, for both maritime use in general, and the SF-BREEZE in particular. Due to weaker attractions between molecules, LH 2 is colder than LNG, and evaporates more easily.more » We describe the consequences of these physical differences for the size and duration of spills of the two cryogenic fuels. The classical flammability ranges are reviewed, with a focus on how fuel buoyancy modifies these combustion limits. We examine the conditions for direct fuel explosion (detonation) and contrast them with initiation of normal (laminar) combustion. Direct fuel detonation is not a credible accident scenario for the SF-BREEZE. For both fuels, we review experiments and theory elucidating the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT). LH 2 fires have a shorter duration than energy-equivalent LNG fires, and produce significantly less thermal radiation. The thermal (infrared) radiation from hydrogen fires is also strongly absorbed by humidity in the air. Hydrogen permeability is not a leak issue for practical hydrogen plumbing. We describe the chemistry of hydrogen and methane at iron surfaces, clarifying their impact on steel-based hydrogen storage and transport materials. These physical, chemical and combustion properties are pulled together in a comparison of how a LH 2 or LNG pool fire on the Top Deck of the SF-BREEZE might influence the structural integrity of the aluminum deck. Neither pool fire scenario leads to net heating of the aluminum decking. Overall, LH 2 and LNG are very similar in their physical and combustion properties, thereby posing similar safety risks. For ships utilizing LH 2 or LNG, precautions are needed to avoid fuel leaks, minimize ignition sources, minimize confined spaces, provide ample ventilation for required confined spaces, and to monitor the enclosed spaces to ensure any fuel accumulation is detected far below the fuel/air mix threshold for any type of combustion.« less

Comparison of the safety-related physical and combustion properties of liquid hydrogen and liquid natural gas in the context of the SF-BREEZE high-speed fuel-cell ferry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klebanoff, L. E.; Pratt, J. W.; LaFleur, C. B.

Here, we review liquid hydrogen (LH 2) as a maritime vessel fuel, from descriptions of its fundamental properties to its practical application and safety aspects, in the context of the San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions (SF-BREEZE) high-speed fuel-cell ferry. Since marine regulations have been formulated to cover liquid natural gas (LNG) as a primary propulsion fuel, we frame our examination of LH 2 as a comparison to LNG, for both maritime use in general, and the SF-BREEZE in particular. Due to weaker attractions between molecules, LH 2 is colder than LNG, and evaporates more easily.more » We describe the consequences of these physical differences for the size and duration of spills of the two cryogenic fuels. The classical flammability ranges are reviewed, with a focus on how fuel buoyancy modifies these combustion limits. We examine the conditions for direct fuel explosion (detonation) and contrast them with initiation of normal (laminar) combustion. Direct fuel detonation is not a credible accident scenario for the SF-BREEZE. For both fuels, we review experiments and theory elucidating the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT). LH 2 fires have a shorter duration than energy-equivalent LNG fires, and produce significantly less thermal radiation. The thermal (infrared) radiation from hydrogen fires is also strongly absorbed by humidity in the air. Hydrogen permeability is not a leak issue for practical hydrogen plumbing. We describe the chemistry of hydrogen and methane at iron surfaces, clarifying their impact on steel-based hydrogen storage and transport materials. These physical, chemical and combustion properties are pulled together in a comparison of how a LH 2 or LNG pool fire on the Top Deck of the SF-BREEZE might influence the structural integrity of the aluminum deck. Neither pool fire scenario leads to net heating of the aluminum decking. Overall, LH 2 and LNG are very similar in their physical and combustion properties, thereby posing similar safety risks. For ships utilizing LH 2 or LNG, precautions are needed to avoid fuel leaks, minimize ignition sources, minimize confined spaces, provide ample ventilation for required confined spaces, and to monitor the enclosed spaces to ensure any fuel accumulation is detected far below the fuel/air mix threshold for any type of combustion.« less

First Scientific Working Group Meeting of Airborne Doppler Lidar Wind Velocity Measurement Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, J. W. (Editor)

1980-01-01

The purpose of the first scientific working group meeting was fourfold: (1) to identify flight test options for engineering verification of the MSFC Doppler Lidar; (2) to identify flight test options for gathering data for scientific/technology applications; (3) to identify additional support equipment needed on the CV 990 aircraft for the flight tests; and (4) to identify postflight data processing and data sets requirements. The working group identified approximately ten flight options for gathering data on atmospheric dynamics processes, including turbulence, valley breezes, and thunderstorm cloud anvil and cold air outflow dynamics. These test options will be used as a basis for planning the fiscal year 1981 tests of the Doppler Lidar system.

Combination of glazing, nisin treatment and radiation processing for shelf-life extension of seer fish (Scomberomorous guttatus) steaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakatkar, Aarti S.; Gautam, Raj Kamal; Shashidhar, Ravindranath

2017-01-01

Fish and fishery products are most perishable. Combination of chilling with gamma irradiation, edible coatings, addition of antimicrobials etc has been applied to extend the shelf life. In the present study, a process to enhance the shelf life of seer fish (Scomberomorus guttatus) steaks using combination of coating prepared from gel dispersion of same fish; incorporated with nisin and gamma irradiation is described. A combination of glazing incorporated with nisin and irradiation at 2 kGy and 5 kGy increased the shelf life of the steaks from 7 days up to 34 and 42 days respectively on chilled storage.

Citizens Utilities Company's successful residential new construction market transformation program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caulfield, T.O.; Shepherd, M.A.

1998-07-01

Citizens Utilities Company, Arizona Electric Division (CUC/AED) fielded a Residential New Construction Program (RNC) in the forth quarter of 1994 that had been designed from conception as a market transformation program. The CUC RNC Program encouraged builders to adopt energy efficient building practices for new homes by supplying builders estimates of energy savings, supplying inspections services to assist builders in applying energy efficient building practices while verifying compliance, and posting and promoting the home as energy efficient during the sales period. Measures generally required to qualify for the program were R-38 ceiling insulation, R-21 wall insulation, polysealing of all infiltrationmore » gaps during construction, well sealed air-conditioning ducts, and an air conditioner Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 11.0 or greater. In less than two years the program achieved over 17% market penetration without offering rebates to builders. This paper reviews the design of the program, including a discussion of the features felt to be primarily responsible for its success. It reviews the levels of penetration achieved, free-ridership, spillover, and market barriers encountered. Finally it proposes improvements to the program designed to carry it the next step toward a self-sustaining market transformation program.« less

A scale model wind tunnel study of dispersion in the Cleveland area. Laboratory simulation of lake breeze effects on diffusion from ground level emissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoydysh, W. G.

1974-01-01

A wind tunnel simulation of the diffusion patterns in a sea breeze was attempted. The results indicate that the low level onshore flow was well simulated for neutral, stable, unstable, and elevated inversion conditions. Velocity, turbulence, shear stress, and temperature data were taken, and the spread of emissions from ground level sources was investigated. Comparison is made with theoretical predictions by E. Inoue and with the open, homogeneous plane field results of Pasquill. Agreement with the predictions by Inoue is good, and the comparison with Pasquill's results shows that the wind tunnel flows are shifted two categories towards more stable. The discrepancy may be explained as a matter of averaging time.

Evaluation of the Emergency Response Dose Assessment System(ERDAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Randolph J.; Lambert, Winifred C.; Manobianco, John T.; Taylor, Gregory E.; Wheeler, Mark M.; Yersavich, Ann M.

1996-01-01

The emergency response dose assessment system (ERDAS) is a protype software and hardware system configured to produce routine mesoscale meteorological forecasts and enhanced dispersion estimates on an operational basis for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) region. ERDAS provides emergency response guidance to operations at KSC/CCAS in the case of an accidental hazardous material release or an aborted vehicle launch. This report describes the evaluation of ERDAS including: evaluation of sea breeze predictions, comparison of launch plume location and concentration predictions, case study of a toxic release, evaluation of model sensitivity to varying input parameters, evaluation of the user interface, assessment of ERDA's operational capabilities, and a comparison of ERDAS models to the ocean breeze dry gultch diffusion model.

The effect of water temperature and synoptic winds on the development of surface flows over narrow, elongated water bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segal, M.; Pielke, R. A.

1985-01-01

Simulations of the thermally induced breeze involved with a relatively narrow, elongated water body is presented in conjunction with evaluations of sensible heat fluxes in a stable marine atmospheric surface layer. The effect of the water surface temperature and of the large-scale synoptic winds on the development of surface flows over the water is examined. As implied by the sensible heat flux patterns, the simulation results reveal the following trends: (1) when the synoptic flow is absent or light, the induced surface breeze is not affected noticeably by a reduction of the water surface temperature; and (2) for stronger synoptic flow, the resultant surface flow may be significantly affected by the water surface temperature.

A numerical model simulation of the regional air pollution meteorology of the greater Chesapeake Bay area - Summer day case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segal, M.; Pielke, R. A.; Mcnider, R. T.; Mcdougal, D. S.

1982-01-01

The mesoscale numerical model of the University of Virginia (UVMM), has been applied to the greater Chesapeake Bay area in order to provide a detailed description of the air pollution meteorology during a typical summer day. This model provides state of the art simulations for land-sea thermally induced circulations. The model-predicted results agree favorably with available observed data. The effects of synoptic flow and sea breeze coupling on air pollution meteorological characteristics in this region, are demonstrated by a spatial and temporal presentation of various model predicted fields. A transport analysis based on predicted wind velocities indicated possible recirculation of pollutants back onto the Atlantic coast due to the sea breeze circulation.

Interaction between turbulent flow and sea breeze front over urban-like coast in large-eddy simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ping; Wen, Zhiping; Sha, Weiming; Chen, Guixing

2017-05-01

Turbulent flow and its interaction with a sea breeze front (SBF) over an urban-like coast with a regular block array were investigated using a building-resolving computational fluid dynamics model. It was found that during daytime with an offshore ambient flow, streaky turbulent structures tended to grow within the convective boundary layer (CBL) over a warm urban surface ahead of the SBF. The structures were organized as streamwise streaks at an interval of a few hundred meters, which initiated at the rooftop level with strong wind shear and strengthens in the CBL with moderate buoyancy. The streaks then interacted with the onshore-propagating SBF as it made landfall. The SBF, which was initially characterized as a shallow and quasi-linear feature over the sea, developed three-dimensional structures with intensified updrafts at an elevated frontal head after landfall. Frontal updrafts were locally enhanced at intersections where the streaks merged with the SBF, which greatly increased turbulent fluxes at the front. The frontal line was irregular because of merging, tilting, and transformation effects of vorticity associated with streaky structures. Inland penetration of the SBF was slowed by the frictional effect of urban-like surfaces and turbulent flow on land. The overall SBF intensity weakened after the interaction with turbulent flow. These findings aid understanding of local weather over coastal cities during typical sea breeze conditions.

N0/N1, PNL, or LNR? The effect of lymph node number on accurate survival prediction in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Valsangkar, Nakul P; Bush, Devon M; Michaelson, James S; Ferrone, Cristina R; Wargo, Jennifer A; Lillemoe, Keith D; Fernández-del Castillo, Carlos; Warshaw, Andrew L; Thayer, Sarah P

2013-02-01

We evaluated the prognostic accuracy of LN variables (N0/N1), numbers of positive lymph nodes (PLN), and lymph node ratio (LNR) in the context of the total number of examined lymph nodes (ELN). Patients from SEER and a single institution (MGH) were reviewed and survival analyses performed in subgroups based on numbers of ELN to calculate excess risk of death (hazard ratio, HR). In SEER and MGH, higher numbers of ELN improved the overall survival for N0 patients. The prognostic significance (N0/N1) and PLN were too variable as the importance of a single PLN depended on the total number of LN dissected. LNR consistently correlated with survival once a certain number of lymph nodes were dissected (≥13 in SEER and ≥17 in the MGH dataset). Better survival for N0 patients with increasing ELN likely represents improved staging. PLN have some predictive value but the ELN strongly influence their impact on survival, suggesting the need for a ratio-based classification. LNR strongly correlates with outcome provided that a certain number of lymph nodes is evaluated, suggesting that the prognostic accuracy of any LN variable depends on the total number of ELN.

Numerical simulation of local atmospheric circulations in the pre-Alpine area between Lake Garda and Verona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laiti, L.; Serafin, S.; Zardi, D.

2010-09-01

The pre-Alpine area between Lake Garda and Verona displays a very complex and heterogeneous territory, allowing the development of several interacting systems of thermally driven local winds, the major being the lake/land breeze system on the coasts of Lake Garda and the up/down-valley wind system between the plain and the river Adige Valley. In order to investigate the local wind patterns, a series of nested numerical simulations with a horizontal resolution of 500 m were carried out using the ARPS 5.2.9 model (Xue et al. 2000, 2001), considering a fair weather day suitable for a clear development of the expected circulations (15th July 2003). The simulated wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature and water vapour mixing ratio were compared to synoptic scale meteorological charts, to vertical profiles from radiosoundings taken at the major sounding stations of the alpine region and to local scale measurements performed at the surface station of Dolcè (at the inlet of the Adige Valley). Numerical results at all scales were found to be in very good agreement with the available sets of meteorological observations. The analysis of the diurnal evolution of the 3D fields of temperature, moisture content, wind and turbulent kinetic energy allowed the identification of a very shallow and clearly defined breeze front of cold and humid air moving from off-shore towards the Lake Garda coast, from the late morning (10:00 LST) until the evening (20:00 LST). The diurnal up-valley breeze was also well reproduced: the valley atmosphere displays a thick mixed layer dominated by shallow turbulent convection between 11:00 LST and 21:00 LST. Lateral slope winds were also recognized, as they created cross-valley convective cells. While no clear evidence of a nocturnal land breeze was found in the simulations, the nocturnal down-valley wind in the Adige Valley was clearly reproduced. Finally, a scalar transport equation was added to the ARPS model in order to simulate transport and diffusion processes for a passive tracer (ideally, a non-reactive pollutant). The cold and stable lake and down-valley breeze corps were found to act like pollutant concentrators at ground level, while the diurnal up-valley wind favours an almost homogenous dispersion of the tracer through the entire Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) thickness. The upper entrainment layer is found to effectively confine the ground-emitted pollutant inside the CBL, except for some occasional plumes that are first conveyed up-slope and then to the centre of the valley above the CBL by cross-valley circulation cells.

Wheezing or Breezing through Exercise-Induced Asthma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Paul

1989-01-01

Several physicians discuss the tests they use to diagnose exercise-induced asthma (EIA), the medications they typically prescribe and why, and the importance of properly educating athletes about EIA. (JD)

Mortality Risk from Co-Morbidities independent of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Status: NCI SEER-based Cohort Analysis

PubMed Central

Swede, Helen; Sarwar, Amna; Magge, Anil; Braithwaite, Dejana; Cook, Linda S.; Gregorio, David I.; Jones, Beth A; Hoag, Jessica; Gonsalves, Lou; Salner, Andrew; Zarfos, Kristen; Andemariam, Biree; Stevens, Richard G; Dugan, Alicia; Pensa, Mellisa; Brockmeyer, Jessica

2017-01-01

Purpose A comparatively high prevalence of co-morbidities among African-American/Blacks (AA/B) has been implicated in disparate survival in breast cancer. There is a scarcity of data, however, if this effect persists when accounting for the adverse triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype which occurs at three-fold the rate in AA/B compared to white breast cancer patients. Methods We reviewed charts of 214 white and 202 AA/B breast cancer patients in the NCI-SEER Connecticut Tumor Registry who were diagnosed in 2000-07. We employed the Charlson Co-Morbidity Index (CCI), a weighted 17-item tool to predict risk of death in cancer populations. Cox Survival Analyses estimated hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality in relation to TNBC and CCI adjusting for clinicopathological factors. Results Among patients with SEER-Local Stage, TNBC increased the risk of death (HR=2.18, 95% CI 1.14-4.16), which was attenuated when the CCI score was added to the model (Adj. HR=1.50, 95% CI 0.74-3.01). Conversely, the adverse impact of the CCI score persisted when controlling for TNBC (Adj. HR=1.49, 95% CI 1.29-1.71; per one point increase). Similar patterns were observed in SEER-Regional Stage but estimated HRs were lower. AA/B patients with a CCI score of ≥3 had a significantly higher risk of death compared to AA/B patients without comorbidities (Adj. HR=5.65, 95% CI 2.90-11.02). A lower and non-significant effect was observed for whites with a CCI of ≥3 (Adj. HR=1.90, 95% CI 0.68-5.29). Conclusions Co-morbidities at diagnosis increase risk of death independent of TNBC, and AA/B patients may be disproportionately at risk. PMID:27000206

Malignant pineal germ-cell tumors: an analysis of cases from three tumor registries.

PubMed

Villano, J Lee; Propp, Jennifer M; Porter, Kimberly R; Stewart, Andrew K; Valyi-Nagy, Tibor; Li, Xinyu; Engelhard, Herbert H; McCarthy, Bridget J

2008-04-01

The exact incidence of pineal germ-cell tumors is largely unknown. The tumors are rare, and the number of patients with these tumors, as reported in clinical series, has been limited. The goal of this study was to describe pineal germ-cell tumors in a large number of patients, using data from available brain tumor databases. Three different databases were used: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2001); Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS; 1997-2001); and National Cancer Data Base (NCDB; 1985-2003). Tumors were identified using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, third edition (ICD-O-3), site code C75.3, and categorized according to histology codes 9060-9085. Data were analyzed using SAS/STAT release 8.2, SEER*Stat version 5.2, and SPSS version 13.0 software. A total of 1,467 cases of malignant pineal germ-cell tumors were identified: 1,159 from NCDB, 196 from SEER, and 112 from CBTRUS. All three databases showed a male predominance for pineal germ-cell tumors (>90%), and >72% of patients were Caucasian. The peak number of cases occurred in the 10- to 14-year age group in the CBTRUS data and in the 15- to 19-year age group in the SEER and NCDB data, and declined significantly thereafter. The majority of tumors (73%-86%) were germinomas, and patients with germinomas had the highest survival rate (>79% at 5 years). Most patients were treated with surgical resection and radiation therapy or with radiation therapy alone. The number of patients included in this study exceeds that of any study published to date. The proportions of malignant pineal germ-cell tumors and intracranial germ-cell tumors are in range with previous studies. Survival rates for malignant pineal germ-cell tumors are lower than results from recent treatment trials for intracranial germ-cell tumors, and patients that received radiation therapy in the treatment plan either with surgery or alone survived the longest.

Breast cancer-specific survival in patients with lymph node-positive hormone receptor-positive invasive breast cancer and Oncotype DX Recurrence Score results in the SEER database.

PubMed

Roberts, Megan C; Miller, Dave P; Shak, Steven; Petkov, Valentina I

2017-06-01

The Oncotype DX ® Breast Recurrence Score™ (RS) assay is validated to predict breast cancer (BC) recurrence and adjuvant chemotherapy benefit in select patients with lymph node-positive (LN+), hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative BC. We assessed 5-year BC-specific survival (BCSS) in LN+ patients with RS results in SEER databases. In this population-based study, BC cases in SEER registries (diagnosed 2004-2013) were linked to RS results from assays performed by Genomic Health (2004-2014). The primary analysis included only patients (diagnosed 2004-2012) with LN+ (including micrometastases), HR+ (per SEER), and HER2-negative (per RT-PCR) primary invasive BC (N = 6768). BCSS, assessed by RS category and number of positive lymph nodes, was calculated using the actuarial method. The proportion of patients with RS results and LN+ disease (N = 8782) increased over time between 2004 and 2013, and decreased with increasing lymph node involvement from micrometastases to ≥4 lymph nodes. Five-year BCSS outcomes for those with RS < 18 ranged from 98.9% (95% CI 97.4-99.6) for those with micrometastases to 92.8% (95% CI 73.4-98.2) for those with ≥4 lymph nodes. Similar patterns were found for patients with RS 18-30 and RS ≥ 31. RS group was strongly predictive of BCSS among patients with micrometastases or up to three positive lymph nodes (p < 0.001). Overall, 5-year BCSS is excellent for patients with RS < 18 and micrometastases, one or two positive lymph nodes, and worsens with additionally involved lymph nodes. Further analyses should account for treatment variables, and longitudinal updates will be important to better characterize utilization of Oncotype DX testing and long-term survival outcomes.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts

Cancer.gov

These summaries provide statistics for common cancer types. The statistics include incidence, mortality, survival, stage, prevalence, and lifetime risk. Links to additional resources are included. Updated annually.

Influence of sea-land breezes on the tempospatial distribution of atmospheric aerosols over coastal region.

PubMed

Tsai, Hsieh-Hung; Yuan, Chung-Shin; Hung, Chung-Hsuang; Lin, Chitsan; Lin, Yuan-Chung

2011-04-01

The influence of sea-land breezes (SLBs) on the spatial distribution and temporal variation of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere was investigated over coastal Taiwan. PM was simultaneously sampled at inland and offshore locations during three intensive sampling periods. The intensive PM sampling protocol was continuously conducted over a 48-hr period. During this time, PM2.5 and PM(2.5-10) (PM with aerodynamic diameters < 2.5 microm and between 2.5 and 10 microm, respectively) were simultaneously measured with dichotomous samplers at four sites (two inland and two offshore sites) and PM10 (PM with aerodynamic diameters < or =10 microm) was measured with beta-ray monitors at these same 4 sites and at 10 sites of the Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network. PM sampling on a mobile air quality monitoring boat was further conducted along the coastline to collect offshore PM using a beta-ray monitor and a dichotomous sampler. Data obtained from the inland sites (n=12) and offshore sites (n=2) were applied to plot the PM10 concentration contour using Surfer software. This study also used a three-dimensional meteorological model (Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Meteorological Model 5) and the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions to simulate surface wind fields and spatial distribution of PM10 over the coastal region during the intensive sampling periods. Spatial distribution of PM10 concentration was further used in investigating the influence of SLBs on the transport of PM10 over the coastal region. Field measurement and model simulation results showed that PM10 was transported back and forth across the coastline. In particular, a high PM10 concentration was observed at the inland sites during the day because of sea breezes, whereas a high PM10 concentration was detected offshore at night because of land breezes. This study revealed that the accumulation of PM in the near-ocean region because of SLBs influenced the tempospatial distribution of PM10 over the coastal region.

Staging - SEER Registrars

Cancer.gov

Access tools for coding Extent of Disease 2018, plus Summary Staging Manual 2000, resources for comparison and mapping between staging systems, UICC information, and Collaborative Stage instructions and software.

Evaluation of the 8th AJCC staging system for pathologically versus clinically staged pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A time to revisit a dogma?

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2018-02-01

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for pancreatic exocrine adenocarcinoma has been released. The current study seeks to assess the 7th and 8th editions among patients registered within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database. SEER database (2010-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program and AJCC 8th edition stages were reconstructed utilizing the collaborative stage descriptions. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival analyses (according to both 7th and 8th editions and according to whether pathological or clinical staging were conducted) has been performed. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting pancreatic cancer-specific survival was also conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 18  948 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified in the period from 2010-2013. Pancreatic cancer-specific survival among pathologically staged patients and according to the 8th edition showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between stage IA and stage IB (P = 0.307) and the comparison between stage IB and stage IIA (P = 0.116). Moreover, P value for stage IA vs IIA was 0.014; while pancreatic cancer-specific survival according to the 7th edition among pathologically staged patients showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between IA and IB (P = 0.072), the comparison between stage IIA and stage IIB (P = 0.065), the comparison between stage IIA and stage III (P = 0.059) and the comparison between IIB and III (P = 0.595). Among clinically staged patients (i.e. those who did not undergo initial radical surgery), the prognostic performance of both 7th and 8th stages for both overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival was limited. There is clearly a need to have two staging systems for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: pathological and clinical staging systems. Copyright © 2018 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenging a dogma; AJCC 8th staging system is not sufficient to predict outcomes of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-11-01

The 8th edition of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system has been published. The current analysis aims to evaluate its performance in a population-based setting among patients recorded within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database. SEER database (2004-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program and AJCC 8th edition stage groups were reconstructed. Survival analyses (overall and cancer-specific) were conducted according to 6th and 8th editions through Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox-regression multivariate model was also utilized for pair wise comparisons between different prognostic groups for overall and cancer-specific survival. A total of 5382 patients with MPM were identified in the period from 2004 to 2013. According to the 6th edition, significant pair wise P values for overall survival included: IA vs. III (P=0.027); IA vs. IV: P<0.0001; IB vs. IV: P<0.0001; II vs. III: P<0.0001; II vs. IV: P<0.0001; III vs. IV: P<0.0001). According to the 8th edition, significant pair wise P values for overall survival included: all stages vs. IV: P<0.0001; IA vs. II: P=0.046; IA vs. IIIA: P=0.022; IA vs. IIIB: P <0.0001; IB vs. II: P<0.0001; IB vs. IIIB: P<0.0001; II vs. IIIA: P<0.0001; IIIA vs. IIIB: P<0.0001). C-index for 6th edition was 0.539 (SE: 0.008; 95% CI: 0.524-0.555); while C-index for 8th edition was 0.540 (SE: 0.008; 95% CI: 0.525-0.556). Based on the above findings, a simplified staging system was proposed and overall and cancer-specific survivals were evaluated according to the simplified system. For overall and cancer-specific survival assessment, P values for all pair wise comparisons among different stages were significant (<0.01). The prognostic performance of both the 6th and 8th AJCC editions is unsatisfactory; there is a need for a more practical and prognostically relevant staging system for MPM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GENETIC INDICATORS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory; US EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory, Molecular Ecology Research Division, Cincinnati, OH; US EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, FL;...

Seasonal budgets of ozone and oxidant precursors in an industrial coastal area of northern Italy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiadis, T.; Alberti, L.; Bonasoni, P.; Fortezza, F.; Giovanelli, G.; Strocchi, V.

1994-01-01

The seasonal budgets and evolution of photochemical oxidants reported for greater Ravenna's urban-industrial area in the present study were calculated using the combined data from on-site systematic surveys (1978-1989) and from the monitoring network of the local environmental authorities. The notable differences in the concentrations of ozone and nitrogen oxides depended on season, and meteorological variables showed a marked correlation to the seasonal budget of trace constituents. The weak local circulation, the land-sea breeze system, and high solar radiation in summer, which may persist at length because of the anticyclonic conditions, can produce episodes of intense photochemical reactions. In winter, by contrast, low solar radiation and the absence of the breeze system results in very different evolutions of both pollutant concentrations and their seasonal budget.

Implications of inaccurate clinical nodal staging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Swords, Douglas S; Firpo, Matthew A; Johnson, Kirsten M; Boucher, Kenneth M; Scaife, Courtney L; Mulvihill, Sean J

2017-07-01

Many patients with stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma do not undergo resection. We hypothesized that (1) clinical staging underestimates nodal involvement, causing stage IIB to have a greater percent of resected patients and (2) this stage-shift causes discrepancies in observed survival. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) research database was used to evaluate cause-specific survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2004-2012. Survival was compared using the log-rank test. Single-center data on 105 patients who underwent resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma without neoadjuvant treatment were used to compare clinical and pathologic nodal staging. In SEER data, medium-term survival in stage IIB was superior to IB and IIA, with median cause-specific survival of 14, 9, and 11 months, respectively (P < .001). Seventy-two percent of stage IIB patients underwent resection vs 28% in IB and 36% in IIA (P < .001). In our institutional data, 12.4% of patients had clinical evidence of nodal involvement vs 69.5% by pathologic staging (P < .001). Among clinical stage IA-IIA patients, 71.6% had nodal involvement by pathologic staging. Both SEER and institutional data support substantial underestimation of nodal involvement by clinical staging. This finding has implications in decisions regarding neoadjuvant therapy and analysis of outcomes in the absence of pathologic staging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disparities in Use of Gynecologic Oncologists for Women with Ovarian Cancer in the United States

PubMed Central

Austin, Shamly; Martin, Michelle Y; Kim, Yongin; Funkhouser, Ellen M; Partridge, Edward E; Pisu, Maria

2013-01-01

Objective To examine disparities in utilization of gynecologic oncologists (GOs) across race and other sociodemographic factors for women with ovarian cancer. Data Sources Obtained SEER-Medicare linked dataset for 4,233 non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic African American, Hispanic of any race, and Non-Hispanic Asian women aged ≥66 years old diagnosed with ovarian cancer during 2000–2002 from 17 SEER registries. Physician specialty was identified by linking data to the AMA master file using Unique Physician Identification Numbers. Study Design Retrospective claims data analysis for 1999–2006. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between GO utilization and race/ethnicity in the initial, continuing, and final phases of care. Principal Findings GO use decreased from the initial to final phase of care (51.4–28.8 percent). No racial/ethnic differences were found overall and by phase of cancer care. Women >70 years old and those with unstaged disease were less likely to receive GO care compared to their counterparts. GO use was lower in some SEER registries compared to the Atlanta registry. Conclusions GO use for the initial ovarian cancer treatment or for longer term care was low but not different across racial/ethnic groups. Future research should identify factors that affect GO utilization and understand why use of these specialists remains low. PMID:23206237

NASA Newest SeaWinds Instrument Breezes Into Operation

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-24

One of NASA newest Earth-observing instruments, the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard Japan Advanced Earth Observing Satellite Adeos 2--now renamed Midori 2--has successfully transmitted its first radar data to our home planet.

Survival outcomes of pediatric osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma: a comparison of surgery type within the SEER database, 1988-2007.

PubMed

Schrager, Justin; Patzer, Rachel E; Mink, Pamela J; Ward, Kevin C; Goodman, Michael

2011-01-01

Survival following diagnosis of pediatric Ewing's sarcoma or osteosarcoma is increasing in the United States, but whether survival differs between patients who receive limb salvage surgery compared to amputation has not been evaluated in nationally representative, population-based data. Multivariable-adjusted survival was calculated using Cox regression models among surgically treated pediatric (age <20) osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma patients with bone cancer of the limbs or joints reported to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program during 1988-2007. Over half (66.3%) of the 890 osteosarcoma patients underwent limb salvage surgery. Five-year overall survival among patients who received limb salvage was 72.7% for osteosarcoma patients and 71.8% for Ewing's sarcoma patients. Among patients who received amputation, 5-year survival was 60.1% for osteosarcoma and 63.1% for Ewing's sarcoma patients. After multivariable adjustment, the mortality was 35% greater for amputation vs limb salvage (HR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.05-1.75). Among 165 Ewing's sarcoma patients, 73.9% underwent limb salvage (vs amputation), and the adjusted mortality was higher for patients receiving amputation, although results were not statistically significant (HR=1.61, 95% CI: 0.80-3.21). Limb salvage surgery (vs amputation) is associated with longer survival among pediatric patients with bone cancer of the limbs or joints. Patient and physician characteristics and the effectiveness of neoadjuvant therapy may play a role in surgery choice, but we were unable to control for these factors.

Lymph node status as a prognostic factor after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Li, Qingguo; Wang, Changjian; Li, Yaqi; Li, Xinxiang; Xu, Ye; Cai, Guoxiang; Lian, Peng; Cai, Sanjun

2017-07-18

Lymph node (LN) status is one of the most important predictors for M0 colorectal cancer patients. However, its clinical impact on stage IV colorectal cancer remains unclear. The study aimed to explore the prognostic value of LN status after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We combined analyses of mCRC patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC).A total of 17,553 patients with mCRC were identified in SEER database. X-tile program was adopted to identify 2 and 10 as optimal cutoff values for negative lymph node (NLN) count to divide patients into 3 subgroups of high, middle and low risk of cancer related death. N stage and NLN count were verified as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analyses of patients in whole cohort and in subgroup analyses of each N stage (P<0.05). Validation of FUSCC cohort of patients demonstrated that metastatic tumor burden (P = 0.042), NLN count (P = 0.039) and sequential chemotherapy (P = 0.040) were significant predictors of poorer CSS. Specifically, the prognosis of patients at stage N0 was significantly more favorable than that of patients at stage N2 (P = 0.038). In conclusion, primary tumor LN status was a strong predictor of CSS after palliative resection of metastatic colorectal cancer. Advanced N stage and small number of NLN were correlated with high risk of cancer related death after palliative resection of primary tumor.

Demographic, Clinical, and Treatment Trends Among Women Diagnosed with Vulvar Cancer in the U.S.

PubMed Central

AM, Stroup; LC, Harlan; EL, Trimble

2008-01-01

Objective Describe the treatment and survival patterns among a population-based sample of vulvar cancer patients diagnosed in the U.S. in 1999. Methods Cases were identified for the National Cancer Institute’s Patterns of Care Study (POC) using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). A stratified random sample of non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women age 20 and older was selected from cases reported by eleven SEER registries. Analyses of the association between vulvar cancer and key demographic, clinical, and hospital characteristics by stage were performed. Cox proportional hazards was used to estimate the odds of death due to cancer. All estimates were weighted, and analyses were conducted with SUDAAN. Results 90% of cases were diagnosed with in situ or early stage invasive disease. Older patients were more likely to present at advanced stages. 25% of women with Stage III–IV vulvar cancer received chemotherapy plus radiation. We noted widespread use of radical local excision among women with Stage I/II cancer, but 46%–54% with invasive disease underwent a radical or total vulvectomy. Factors associated with cancer death were limited to age and stage. Women 75 years and older were at higher risk compared to women aged 20–49 and the risk of death increased with advancing stage. Conclusions Vulvar cancer is diagnosed at early stages. Late stage disease is associated with a significant increase in mortality. Radical surgery was still commonly performed in 1999. Radiation was more common in women diagnosed at late stage, while the use of chemoradiation remained limited. PMID:18155274

Variation in Adherence to External Beam Radiotherapy Quality Measures Among Elderly Men With Localized Prostate Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bekelman, Justin E.; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Jang, Thomas L.

2007-12-01

Purpose: To characterize the variation in adherence to quality measures of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for localized prostate cancer and its relation to patient and provider characteristics in a population-based, representative sample of U.S. men. Methods and Materials: We evaluated EBRT quality measures proposed by a RAND expert panel of physicians among men aged {>=}65 years diagnosed between 2000 and 2002 with localized prostate cancer and treated with primary EBRT using data from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare program. We assessed the adherence to five EBRT quality measures that were amenable to analysis using SEER-Medicare data: (1)more » use of conformal RT planning; (2) use of high-energy (>10-MV) photons; (3) use of custom immobilization; (4) completion of two follow-up visits with a radiation oncologist in the year after therapy; and (5) radiation oncologist board certification. Results: Of the 11,674 patients, 85% had received conformal RT planning, 75% had received high-energy photons, and 97% had received custom immobilization. One-third of patients had completed two follow-up visits with a radiation oncologist, although 91% had at least one visit with a urologist or radiation oncologist. Most patients (85%) had been treated by a board-certified radiation oncologist. Conclusions: The overall high adherence to EBRT quality measures masked substantial variation in geography, socioeconomic status in the area of residence, and teaching affiliation of the RT facility. Future research should examine the reasons for the variations in these measures and whether the variation is associated with important clinical outcomes.« less

Racial differences in colorectal cancer survival in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

PubMed

Yan, Ben; Noone, Anne-Michelle; Yee, Cecilia; Banerjee, Mousumi; Schwartz, Kendra; Simon, Michael S

2009-08-15

Colorectal carcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer death with African Americans having lower survival compared with White Americans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of demographics, clinical factors, and socioeconomic status (SES) on racial disparities in colorectal cancer survival in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The study population included 9078 individuals with primary invasive colorectal cancer identified between 1988 and 1992 through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Demographics, clinical information, and survival were obtained through SEER. SES was categorized using occupation, educational level, and poverty status at the census tract level. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to compare overall survival by race. African Americans were more likely to be diagnosed with stage IV disease (P < .001), and to reside within poor census tracts (P < .001) compared with White Americans. Unadjusted analysis showed that African Americans had a significantly higher risk of death compared with their White American counterparts (hazards ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.20). After adjusting for age, marital status, sex, SES group, TNM stage, and treatment, race was no longer significantly associated with overall survival (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.92-1.09). Similar results were seen with colorectal cancer-specific survival. Racial disparities in colorectal cancer survival dissipate after adjusting for other demographic and clinical factors. These results can potentially affect medical guidelines regarding screening and treatment, and possibly influence public health policies that can have a positive impact on equalizing racial differences in access to care.

Survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the San Joaquin Valley: a comparison with California Cancer Registry data.

PubMed

Atla, Pradeep R; Sheikh, Muhammad Y; Mascarenhas, Ranjan; Choudhury, Jayanta; Mills, Paul

2012-01-01

Variation in the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to racial differences, socioeconomic disparities and treatment options among different populations. A retrospective review of the data from medical records of patients diagnosed with HCC were analyzed at an urban tertiary referral teaching hospital and compared to patients in the California Cancer Registry (CCR) - a participant in the Survival Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The main outcome measure was overall survival rates. 160 patients with the diagnosis of HCC (M/F=127/33), mean age 59.7±10 years, 32% white, 49% Hispanic, 12% Asian and 6% African American. Multivariate analysis identified tumor size, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, portal vein invasion and treatment offered as the independent predictors of survival (p <0.05). Survival rates across racial groups were not statistically significant. 5.6% received curative treatments (orthotopic liver transplantation, resection, rediofrequency ablation) (median survival 69 months), 34.4% received nonsurgical treatments (trans-arterial chemoembolization, systemic chemotherapy) (median survival 9 months), while 60% received palliative or no treatment (median survival 3 months) (p <0.001). There was decreased survival in our patient population with HCC beyond 2 years. 60% of our study population received only palliative or no treatment suggesting a possible lack of awareness of chronic liver disease as well as access to appropriate surveillance modalities. Ethnic disparities such as Hispanic predominance in this study in contrast to the CCR/SEER database may have been a contributing factor for poorer outcome.

More Cancer Types - SEER Cancer Stat Facts

Cancer.gov

Cancer Statistical Fact Sheets are summaries of common cancer types developed to provide an overview of frequently-requested cancer statistics including incidence, mortality, survival, stage, prevalence, and lifetime risk.

Building America Case Study: Impact of Improved Duct Insulation on Fixed-Capacity (SEER 13) and Variable-Capacity (SEER 22) Heat Pumps, Cocoa, Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Withers, J. Cummings, B. Nigusse, E. Martin

A new generation of central, ducted variable-capacity heat pump systems has come on the market, promising very high cooling and heating efficiency. Instead of cycling on at full capacity and then cycling off when the thermostat is satisfied, they vary their cooling and heating output over a wide range (approximately 40 to 118% of nominal full capacity); thus, staying 'on' for 60% to 100% more hours per day compared to fixed-capacity systems. Current Phase 4 experiments in an instrumented lab home with simulated occupancy evaluate the impact of duct R-value enhancement on the overall operating efficiency of the variable-capacity systemmore » compared to the fixed-capacity system.« less

Range-Specific High-Resolution Mesoscale Model Setup: Data Assimilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.

2014-01-01

Mesoscale weather conditions can have an adverse effect on space launch, landing, and ground processing at the Eastern Range (ER) in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. During summer, land-sea interactions across Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) lead to sea breeze front formation, which can spawn deep convection that can hinder operations and endanger personnel and resources. Many other weak locally driven low-level boundaries and their interactions with the sea breeze front and each other can also initiate deep convection in the KSC/CCAFS area. Some of these other boundaries include the Indian River breeze front, Banana River breeze front, outflows from previous convection, horizontal convective rolls, convergence lines from other inland bodies of water such as Lake Okeechobee, the trailing convergence line from convergence of sea breeze fronts due to the shape of Cape Canaveral, frictional convergence lines from the islands in the Bahamas, convergence lines from soil moisture differences, convergence lines from cloud shading, and others. All these subtle weak boundary interactions often make forecasting of operationally important weather very difficult at KSC/CCAFS during the convective season (May-Oct). These convective processes often build quickly, last a short time (60 minutes or less), and occur over small distances, all of which also poses a significant challenge to the local forecasters who are responsible for issuing weather advisories, watches, and warnings. Surface winds during the transition seasons of spring and fall pose the most difficulties for the forecasters at WFF. They also encounter problems forecasting convective activity and temperature during those seasons. Therefore, accurate mesoscale model forecasts are needed to aid in their decision making. Both the ER and WFF would benefit greatly from high-resolution mesoscale model output to better forecast a variety of unique weather phenomena. Global and national scale models cannot properly resolve important local-scale weather features at each location due to their horizontal resolutions being much too coarse. Therefore, a properly tuned model at a high resolution is needed to provide improved capability. This task is a multi-year effort in which the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) will tune the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model individually for each range. The goal of the first year, the results of which are in this report, was to tune the WRF model based on the best model resolution and run time while using reasonable computing capabilities. To accomplish this, the ER and WFF supported the tasking of the AMU to perform a number of sensitivity tests in order to determine the best model configuration for operational use at each of the ranges to best predict winds, precipitation, and temperature (Watson 2013). This task is a continuation of that work and will provide a recommended local data assimilation (DA) and numerical forecast model design optimized for the ER and WFF to support space launch activities. The model will be optimized for local weather challenges at both ranges.

The monsoon system: Land-sea breeze or the ITCZ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadgil, Sulochana

2018-02-01

For well over 300 years, the monsoon has been considered to be a gigantic land-sea breeze driven by the land-ocean contrast in surface temperature. In this paper, this hypothesis and its implications for the variability of the monsoon are discussed and it is shown that the observations of monsoon variability do not support this popular theory of the monsoon. An alternative hypothesis (whose origins can be traced to Blanford's (1886) remarkably perceptive analysis) in which the basic system responsible for the Indian summer monsoon is considered to be the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) or the equatorial trough, is then examined and shown to be consistent with the observations. The implications of considering the monsoon as a manifestation of the seasonal migration of the ITCZ for the variability of the Indian summer monsoon and for identification of the monsoonal regions of the world are briefly discussed.

The MOSO field experiment - Overview of findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ólafsson, Haraldur; Jonassen, Marius O.; Ágústsson, Hálfdán; Rögnvaldsson, Ólafur; Hjarðar, Bjarni G. Þ.; Rasol, Dubravka; Reuder, Joachim; Jónsson, Sigurður; Líf Kristinsdóttir, Birta

2013-04-01

In 2009 and 2011, the MOSO I and MOSO II meteorological field experiments took place in SW-Iceland. The main objectives were to describe the low level atmospheric coastal flows in the vicinity of mountains. The observations for the MOSO dataset were made using a large number of automatic weather stations, microbarographs, radiosoundings and a remotely piloted aircraft. The highlights of the findings include a four-dimensional description of the sea-breeze in Iceland, weak downslope acceleration, summer- and winter-time mountain wake flow, transition between wake flow and sea-breeze. The orographic drag force is explored and shown to be not so high most of the time in the predicted high-drag state. The observations from the remotely piloted aircraft have been used successfully to nudge simulations of the flow and are shown to be promising for operational use in numerical prediction of mesoscale coastal and orographic flows.

The inland boundary layer at low latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.

1985-08-01

Observations from the Koorin boundary-layer experiment in Australia (latitude 16 °S) were analysed in a study of the nocturnal jet development. For geostrophic winds in the range 10 20 m s-1, ageostrophic wind magnitudes of 5 10m s-1 were common above the surface layer near sunset, with cross-isobar flow angles of about 40 °. The jet that then developed by midnight was probably the result of these large ageostrophic winds, strong surface cooling and favourable baroclinity and sloping terrain. The analysis is supported by numerical model calculations with special emphasis on the role of long-wave radiative cooling on turbulent decay. Decay is rapid in the presence of radiation, although there is little influence on stress divergence levels. Evidence of sea-breeze influences on the jet evolution, and on features of deeply penetrating sea breezes in general, will be presented and discussed in part 2 of this study (submitted to Boundary-Layer Meteorol.).

Did You Know? Video Series - SEER Cancer Statistics

Cancer.gov

Videos that explain cancer statistics. Choose from topics including survival, statistics overview, survivorship, disparities, and specific cancer types including breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, melanoma of the skin, and others.

Evaluation of the radiopacity of luting cements by digital radiography.

PubMed

Altintas, Subutay Han; Yildirim, Tahsin; Kayipmaz, Saadettin; Usumez, Aslihan

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiopacity of eight contemporary luting cements using direct digital radiography. Ten specimens, (5 mm diameter, 1 mm high) were prepared for each material tested (RelyX ARC, RelyX U100, RelyX Unicem, Nexus 2, Nexus 3, Metacem, Breeze, Adhesor zinc phosphate). The specimens were stored in a moist chamber at 37°C until completely set, then radiographed using a Kodak digital sensor and an aluminum step wedge with variable thicknesses (1 to 13 mm in 1-mm increments) used for reference. A Kodak 2100 intraoral X-ray unit was operated at 60 kV, 7 mA, and 0.20 seconds. According to international standards, the radiopacity of the specimens was compared with that of the aluminum step wedge using the equal-density area tool of the Kodak Dental Imaging software (ver. 6.7). Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test. Adhesor zinc phosphate cement showed the highest radiopacity of all materials and dentin. Breeze showed the lowest radiopacity (p < 0.05). No significant difference in radiopacity was observed between dentin and RelyX ARC, Nexus 2, or Metacem (p > 0.05). The radiopacities of Nexus 3 and RelyX Unicem were significantly higher than those of other resin cements and dentin (p < 0.05). All materials showed radiopacity above the minimum recommended by the International Organization for Standardization and the American National Standards/American Dental Association. Breeze had less radiopacity than dentin. © 2012 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The influence of terrain forcing on the initiation of deep convection over Mediterranean islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthlott, Christian; Kirshbaum, Daniel

2013-04-01

The influence of mountainous islands on the initiation of deep convection is investigated using the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model. The study day is 26 August 2009 on which moist convection occurred over both the Corsica and Sardinia island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sensitivity runs with systematically modified topography are explored to evaluate the relative importance of the land-sea contrast and the terrain height for convection initiation. Whereas no island precipitation is simulated when the islands are completely removed, all simulations that represent these land surfaces develop convective precipitation. Although convection initiates progressively earlier in the day over taller islands, the precipitation rates and accumulations do not show a fixed relationship with terrain height. This is due to the competing effects of different physical processes. First, whereas the forcing for low-level ascent increases over taller islands, the boundary-layer moisture supply decreases, which diminishes the conditional instability and precipitable water. Second, whereas taller islands enhance the inland propagation speeds of sea-breeze fronts, they also mechanically block these fronts and prevent them from reaching the island interior. As a result, the island precipitation is rather insensitive to island terrain height except for one particular case in which the island precipitation increases considerably due to an optimal superposition of the sea breeze and upslope flow. These results demonstrate the complexity of interactions between sea breezes and orography and reinforce that an adequate representation of detailed topographic features is necessary to account for thermally induced wind systems that initiate deep convection.

An Israeli haboob: Sea breeze activating local anthropogenic dust sources in the Negev loess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouvi, Onn; Dayan, Uri; Amit, Rivka; Enzel, Yehouda

2017-02-01

Meso-scale weather systems, such as convective haboobs, are considered to be an important dust generation mechanism. In Israel, however, rather than of meso-scale weather systems, most dust storms are generated by synoptic-scale systems, originating from Sahara and Arabia. Consequently, only distal sources of suspended and deposited dust in Israel are currently reported. Here we report the first detailed study on the merging of synoptic- and meso-scale weather systems leading to a prominent dust outbreak over the Negev, Israel. During the afternoon of May 2nd, 2007, a massive dust storm covered the northern Negev, forming a one kilometer high wall of dust. The haboob was associated with PM10 concentrations of 1000-1500 μg m-3 that advanced at a speed of 10-15 m s-1 and caused temporary closure of local airports. In contrast to most reported haboobs, this one was generated by a sea breeze front acting as a weak cold front enhanced by a cold core cyclone positioned over Libya and Egypt. The sea breeze that brought cold and moist marine air acted as a gravity current with strong surface winds. The sources for the haboob were the loessial soils of the northwestern Negev, especially agricultural fields that were highly disturbed in late spring to early summer. Such surface disturbance is caused by agricultural and/or intensive grazing practices. Our study emphasizes the importance of local dust sources in the Negev and stresses loess recycling as an important process in contemporary dust storms over Israel.

The Implementation and Evaluation of the Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) at Cape Canaveral Air Station/Kennedy Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Randolph J.; Tremback, Craig J.; Lyons, Walter A.

1996-01-01

The Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) is a system which combines the mesoscale meteorological prediction model RAMS with the diffusion models REEDM and HYPACT. Operators use a graphical user interface to run the models for emergency response and toxic hazard planning at CCAS/KCS. The Applied Meteorology Unit has been evaluating the ERDAS meteorological and diffusion models and obtained the following results: (1) RAMS adequately predicts the occurrence of the daily sea breeze during non-cloudy conditions for several cases. (2) RAMS shows a tendency to predict the sea breeze to occur slightly earlier and to move it further inland than observed. The sea breeze predictions could most likely be improved by better parameterizing the soil moisture and/or sea surface temperatures. (3) The HYPACT/REEDM/RAMS models accurately predict launch plume locations when RAMS winds are accurate and when the correct plume layer is modeled. (4) HYPACT does not adequately handle plume buoyancy for heated plumes since all plumes are presently treated as passive tracers. Enhancements should be incorporated into the ERDAS as it moves toward being a fully operational system and as computer workstations continue to increase in power and decrease in cost. These enhancements include the following: activate RAMS moisture physics; use finer RAMS grid resolution; add RAMS input parameters (e.g. soil moisture, radar, and/or satellite data); automate data quality control; implement four-dimensional data assimilation; modify HYPACT plume rise and deposition physics; and add cumulative dosage calculations in HYPACT.

10. INTERIOR NORTHERN VIEW OF STOCKHOUSE No. 1 WITH COKE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. INTERIOR NORTHERN VIEW OF STOCKHOUSE No. 1 WITH COKE BIN IN CENTER AND COKE BREEZE REMOVAL CONVEYOR ON RIGHT. (Jet Lowe) - U.S. Steel Duquesne Works, Blast Furnace Plant, Along Monongahela River, Duquesne, Allegheny County, PA

SEER Cancer Query Systems (CanQues)

Cancer.gov

These applications provide access to cancer statistics including incidence, mortality, survival, prevalence, and probability of developing or dying from cancer. Users can display reports of the statistics or extract them for additional analyses.

Monographs - SEER Publications

Cancer.gov

In-depth publications on topics in cancer statistics, including collaborative staging and registry data, cancer survival from a policy and clinical perspective, a description of cancer in American Indians/Alaska Natives, and measures of health disparities.

SEMIPARAMETRIC ADDITIVE RISKS REGRESSION FOR TWO-STAGE DESIGN SURVIVAL STUDIES

PubMed Central

Li, Gang; Wu, Tong Tong

2011-01-01

In this article we study a semiparametric additive risks model (McKeague and Sasieni (1994)) for two-stage design survival data where accurate information is available only on second stage subjects, a subset of the first stage study. We derive two-stage estimators by combining data from both stages. Large sample inferences are developed. As a by-product, we also obtain asymptotic properties of the single stage estimators of McKeague and Sasieni (1994) when the semiparametric additive risks model is misspecified. The proposed two-stage estimators are shown to be asymptotically more efficient than the second stage estimators. They also demonstrate smaller bias and variance for finite samples. The developed methods are illustrated using small intestine cancer data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program. PMID:21931467

Are breast cancer navigation programs cost-effective? Evidence from the Chicago Cancer Navigation Project.

PubMed

Markossian, Talar W; Calhoun, Elizabeth A

2011-01-01

One of the aims of the Chicago Cancer Navigation Project (CCNP) is to reduce the interval of time between abnormal breast cancer screening and definitive diagnosis in patients who are navigated as compared to usual care. In this article, we investigate the extent to which total costs of breast cancer navigation can be offset by survival benefits and savings in lifetime breast cancer-attributable costs. Data sources for the cost-effectiveness analysis include data from published literature, secondary data from the NCI's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, and primary data from the CCNP. If women enrolled in CCNP receive breast cancer diagnosis earlier by 6 months as compared to usual care, then navigation is borderline cost-effective for $95,625 per life-year saved. Results from sensitivity analyses suggest that the cost-effectiveness of navigation is sensitive to: the interval of time between screening and diagnosis, percent increase in number of women who receive cancer diagnosis and treatment, women's age, and the positive predictive value of a mammogram. In planning cost-effective navigation programs, special considerations should be made regarding the characteristics of the disease, program participants, and the initial screening test that determines program eligibility. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vern-Gross, Tamara Z.; Shivnani, Anand T., E-mail: Anand.Shivnani@usoncology.com; Chen, Ke

Purpose: The benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after surgical resection for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has not been clearly established. We analyzed survival outcomes of patients with resected extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and examined the effect of adjuvant RT. Methods and Materials: Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between 1973 and 2003. The primary endpoint was the overall survival time. Cox regression analysis was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses of the following clinical variables: age, year of diagnosis, histologic grade, localized (Stage T1-T2) vs. regional (Stage T3 or greater and/or node positive) stage, gender, race, andmore » the use of adjuvant RT after surgical resection. Results: The records for 2,332 patients were obtained. Patients with previous malignancy, distant disease, incomplete or conflicting records, atypical histologic features, and those treated with preoperative/intraoperative RT were excluded. Of the remaining 1,491 patients eligible for analysis, 473 (32%) had undergone adjuvant RT. After a median follow-up of 27 months (among surviving patients), the median overall survival time for the entire cohort was 20 months. Patients with localized and regional disease had a median survival time of 33 and 18 months, respectively (p < .001). The addition of adjuvant RT was not associated with an improvement in overall or cause-specific survival for patients with local or regional disease. Conclusion: Patients with localized disease had significantly better overall survival than those with regional disease. Adjuvant RT was not associated with an improvement in long-term overall survival in patients with resected extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Key data, including margin status and the use of combined chemotherapy, was not available through the SEER database.« less

Geographic variations in female breast cancer incidence in relation to ambient air emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Large, Courtney; Wei, Yudan

2017-07-01

A significant geographic variation of breast cancer incidence exists, with incidence rates being much higher in industrialized regions. The objective of the current study was to assess the role of environmental factors such as exposure to ambient air pollution, specifically carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may be playing in the geographic variations in breast cancer incidence. Female breast cancer incidence and ambient air emissions of PAHs were examined in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the USA by analyzing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the State Cancer Profiles of the National Cancer Institute and from the Environmental Protection Agency. Linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between PAH emissions and breast cancer incidence in unadjusted and adjusted models. Significantly higher age-adjusted incidence rates of female breast cancer were seen in northeastern SEER regions, when compared to southeastern regions, during the years of 2000-2012. After adjusting for potential confounders, emission densities of total PAHs and four carcinogenic individual PAHs (benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, naphthalene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene) showed a significantly positive association with annual incidence rates of breast cancer, with a β of 0.85 (p = 0.004), 58.37 (p = 0.010), 628.56 (p = 0.002), 0.44 (p = 0.041), and 77.68 (p = 0.002), respectively, among the northeastern and southeastern states. This study suggests a potential relationship between ambient air emissions of carcinogenic PAHs and geographic variations of female breast cancer incidence in the northeastern and southeastern US. Further investigations are needed to explore these interactions and elucidate the role of PAHs in regional variations of breast cancer incidence.

Real-World Effectiveness of Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients With Metastatic Bladder Cancer in the United States.

PubMed

Galsky, Matthew D; Pal, Sumanta Kumar; Lin, Shih-Wen; Ogale, Sarika; Zivkovic, Marko; Simpson, Joseph; Derleth, Christina; Schiff, Christina; Sonpavde, Guru

2018-04-26

Outcomes for patients with metastatic bladder cancer (mBC) are generally poor and progressively worse following first-line (1L) chemotherapy. To evaluate treatment patterns, survival outcomes, and characteristics of a large, real-world US population of elderly patients with advanced mBC receiving 1L and second-line (2L) treatment retrospectively. We identified patients with advanced mBC (aged ≥66 years)-newly diagnosed between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2011-in the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program-Medicare linked database and assessed their palliative systemic chemotherapy treatments and survival outcomes. Of 1703 eligible patients, 42% received 1L chemotherapy; 1L-treated patients tended to be younger and healthier than nontreated patients. Only 27% of 1L-treated patients received cisplatin-based chemotherapy, most commonly cisplatin-gemcitabine. Cisplatin-treated patients were younger and had fewer comorbidities than non-cisplatin-treated patients. Thirty-five percent of 1L-treated patients subsequently received 2L chemotherapy. Patients received a variety of 2L agents as combination chemotherapy (52%) or single-agent chemotherapy (39%). Median overall survival durations in 1L-treated and 2L-treated patients were 8.5 and 7.9 months, respectively. Results from this retrospective SEER-Medicare database analysis underscore the historical inadequacies of 1L and 2L treatments in elderly patients with advanced mBC. Few patients were treated with 1L chemotherapy, a minority of whom received 1L cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and even fewer received 2L chemotherapy. These findings highlight the disconnect between 1L treatment in clinical trials and treatment in the real-world setting and the lack of standard approaches to 2L treatment in the United States.

Probability estimates for the unique childhood leukemia cluster in Fallon, Nevada, and risks near other U.S. Military aviation facilities.

PubMed Central

Steinmaus, Craig; Lu, Meng; Todd, Randall L; Smith, Allan H

2004-01-01

A unique cluster of childhood leukemia has recently occurred around the city of Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada. From 1999 to 2001, 11 cases were diagnosed in this county of 23,982 people. Exposures related to a nearby naval air station such as jet fuel or an infectious agent carried by naval aviators have been hypothesized as potential causes. The possibility that the cluster could be attributed to chance was also considered. We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) to examine the likelihood that chance could explain this cluster. We also used SEER and California Cancer Registry data to evaluate rates of childhood leukemia in other U.S. counties with military aviation facilities. The age-standardized rate ratio (RR) in Churchill County was 12.0 [95% confidence interval (CI), 6.0-21.4; p = 4.3 times symbol 10(-9)]. A cluster of this magnitude would be expected to occur in the United States by chance about once every 22,000 years. The age-standardized RR for the five cases diagnosed after the cluster was first reported was 11.2 (95% CI, 3.6-26.3). In contrast, the incidence rate was not increased in all other U.S. counties with military aviation bases (RR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.97-1.12) or in the subset of rural counties with military aviation bases (RR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.48-1.08). These findings suggest that the Churchill County cluster was unlikely due to chance, but no general increase in childhood leukemia was found in other U.S. counties with military aviation bases. PMID:15121523

The descriptive epidemiology of gastric cancer in Central America and comparison with United States Hispanic populations.

PubMed

Corral, Juan E; Delgado Hurtado, Juan J; Domínguez, Ricardo L; Valdez de Cuéllar, Marisabel; Balmore Cruz, Carlos; Morgan, Douglas R

2015-03-01

The aims of this study were to delineate the epidemiology of gastric adenocarcinoma in Central America and contrast it with Hispanic-Latino populations in the USA. Published literature and Central America Ministry of Health databases were used as primary data sources, including national, population-based, and hospital-based registries. US data was obtained from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Epidemiology End Results Program (SEER) registry. Incident gastric adenocarcinoma cases were analyzed for available data between 1985 and 2011, including demographic variables and pathology information. In Central America, 19,741 incident gastric adenocarcinomas were identified. Two thirds of the cases were male, 20.5 % were under age 55, and 58.5 %were from rural areas. In the SEER database (n = 7871), 57.8 % were male and 28.9 % were under age 55. Among the US Hispanics born in Central America with gastric cancer (n = 1210), 50.3 % of cases were male and 38.1 % were under age 55. Non-cardia gastric cancer was more common in Central America (83.3 %), among US Hispanics (80.2 %), and Hispanics born in Central America (86.3 %). Cancers of the antrum were more common in Central America (73.6 %), whereas cancers of the corpus were slightly more common among US Hispanics (54.0 %). Adenocarcinoma of the diffuse subtype was relatively common, both in Central America (35.7 %) and US Hispanics (69.5 %), although Lauren classification was reported in only 50 % of cases. A significant burden of gastric adenocarcinoma is observed in Central America based upon limited available data. Differences are noted between Central America and US Hispanics. Strengthening population-based registries is needed for improved cancer control in Central America, which may have implications for the growing US Hispanic population.

Survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the San Joaquin Valley: a comparison with California Cancer Registry data

PubMed Central

Atla, Pradeep R.; Sheikh, Muhammad Y.; Mascarenhas, Ranjan; Choudhury, Jayanta; Mills, Paul

2012-01-01

Background Variation in the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to racial differences, socioeconomic disparities and treatment options among different populations. Methods A retrospective review of the data from medical records of patients diagnosed with HCC were analyzed at an urban tertiary referral teaching hospital and compared to patients in the California Cancer Registry (CCR) – a participant in the Survival Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The main outcome measure was overall survival rates. Results 160 patients with the diagnosis of HCC (M/F=127/33), mean age 59.7±10 years, 32% white, 49% Hispanic, 12% Asian and 6% African American. Multivariate analysis identified tumor size, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, portal vein invasion and treatment offered as the independent predictors of survival (p <0.05). Survival rates across racial groups were not statistically significant. 5.6% received curative treatments (orthotopic liver transplantation, resection, rediofrequency ablation) (median survival 69 months), 34.4% received nonsurgical treatments (trans-arterial chemoembolization, systemic chemotherapy) (median survival 9 months), while 60% received palliative or no treatment (median survival 3 months) (p <0.001). Conclusion There was decreased survival in our patient population with HCC beyond 2 years. 60% of our study population received only palliative or no treatment suggesting a possible lack of awareness of chronic liver disease as well as access to appropriate surveillance modalities. Ethnic disparities such as Hispanic predominance in this study in contrast to the CCR/SEER database may have been a contributing factor for poorer outcome. PMID:24714222

76 FR 16029 - CALIFORNIA Disaster #CA-00165

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12490 and 12491] CALIFORNIA Disaster CA-00165 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of CALIFORNIA dated 03/16/2011. Incident: Garden Breeze...

Temperature And Wind Velocity Oscillations Along a Gentle Slope During Sea-Breeze Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastin, Sophie; Drobinski, Philippe

2005-03-01

The flow structure on a gentle slope at Vallon d’Ol in the northern suburbs of Marseille in southern France has been documented by means of surface wind and temperature measurements collected from 7 June to 14 July 2001 during the ESCOMPTE experiment. The analysis of the time series reveals temperature and wind speed oscillations during several nights (about 60--90 min oscillation period) and several days (about 120-180 min oscillation period) during the whole observing period. Oscillating katabatic winds have been reported in the literature from theoretical, experimental and numerical studies. In the present study, the dynamics of the observed oscillating katabatic winds are in good agreement with the theory.In contrast to katabatic winds, no daytime observations of oscillating anabatic upslope flows have ever been published to our knowledge, probably because of temperature inversion break-up that inhibits upslope winds. The present paper shows that cold air advection by a sea breeze generates a mesoscale horizontal temperature gradient, and hence baroclinicity in the atmosphere, which then allows low-frequency oscillations, similar to a katabatic flow. An expression for the oscillation period is derived that accounts for the contribution of the sea-breeze induced mesoscale horizontal temperature gradient. The theoretical prediction of the oscillation period is compared to the measurements, and good agreement is found. The statistical analysis of the wind flow at Vallon d’Ol shows a dominant north-easterly to easterly flow pattern for nighttime oscillations and a dominant south-westerly flow pattern for daytime oscillations. These results are consistent with published numerical simulation results that show that the air drains off the mountain along the maximum slope direction, which in the studied case is oriented south-west to north-east.

Investigation of the atmospheric boundary layer dynamics during the ESCOMPTE campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saïd, F.; Brut, A.; Campistron, B.; Cousin, F.

2007-03-01

This paper presents some results about the behavior of the atmospheric boundary layer observed during the ESCOMPTE experiment. This campaign, which took place in south-eastern France during summer 2001, was aimed at improving our understanding of pollution episodes in relation to the dynamics of the lower troposphere. Using a large data set, as well as a simulation from the mesoscale non-hydrostatic model Meso-NH, we describe and analyze the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) development during two specific meteorological conditions of the second Intensive Observation Period (IOP). The first situation (IOP2a, from 22 June to 23 June) corresponds to moderate, dry and cold northerly winds (end of Mistral event), coupled with a sea-breeze in the lower layer, whereas sea-breeze events with weak southerly winds occurred during the second part of the period (IOP2b, from 24 June to 26 June). In this study, we first focus on the validation of the model outputs with a thorough comparison of the Meso-NH simulations with fields measurements on three days of the IOP: 22 June, 23 June and 25 June. We also investigate the structure of the boundary layer on IOP2a when the Mistral is superimposed on a sea breeze. Then, we describe the spatial and diurnal variability of the ABL depths over the ESCOMPTE domain during the whole IOP. This step is essential if one wants to know the depth of the layer where the pollutants can be diluted or accumulated. Eventually, this study intends to describe the ABL variability in relation to local or mesoscale dynamics and/or induced topographic effects, in order to explain pollution transport processes in the low troposphere.

Thermal Influence of a Large Green Space on a Hot Urban Environment.

PubMed

Sugawara, Hirofumi; Shimizu, Shogo; Takahashi, Hideo; Hagiwara, Shinsuke; Narita, Ken-Ichi; Mikami, Takehiko; Hirano, Tatsuki

2016-01-01

City-scale warming is becoming a serious problem in terms of human health. Urban green spaces are expected to act as a countermeasure for urban warming, and therefore better understanding of the micro-climate benefits of urban green is needed. This study quantified the thermal influence of a large green park in Tokyo, Japan on the surrounding urban area by collecting long-term measurements. Apparent variations in the temperature difference between the park and surrounding town were found at both the diurnal and seasonal scales. Advection by regional-scale wind and turbulent mixing transfers colder air from the park to urban areas in its vicinity. The extent of the park's thermal influence on the town was greater on the downwind side of the park (450 m) than on the upwind side (65 m). The extent was also greater in an area where the terrain slopes down toward the town. Even on calm nights, the extent of the thermal influence extended by the park breeze to an average of 200 m from the park boundary. The park breeze was characterized by its divergent flow in a horizontal plane, which was found to develop well in calm conditions late at night (regional scale wind <1.5 m s and after 02:00 LST). The average magnitude of the cooling effect of the park breeze was estimated at 39 Wm. This green space tempered the hot summer nights on a city block scale. These findings can help urban planners in designing a heat-adapted city. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Diurnal Cycle of Surface Flows During NAME and Comparison to Model Reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciesielski, P. E.; Johnson, R. H.

2007-05-01

During the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) an unprecedented surface data set of winds and thermodynamic variables was collected over the core monsoon region. The surface network included 63 automated sites with 1-30 min resolution data, 27 SMN operational sites (1-3 hourly data), and 56 US operational sites (1-3 hourly data) along the northern fringe of the monsoon region. These data, along with twice daily QuikSCAT oceanic surface winds, were quality controlled and objectively analyzed on to a uniform grid with quarter-degree, 1-h resolution for the period from 1 July - 15 August. An important application of the gridded winds is their use in diagnosing surface vertical motion due to slope flows over the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) terrain. With this dataset we examine the diurnal characteristics of surface fields as the monsoon evolves and compare these analyses to similar surface products from the special North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) for NAME. Observed surface fields indicate that a robust land-sea breeze circulation is present over most of Gulf of California (GOC) region in response to the strong diurnal heating of land masses on both sides of the gulf. For reasons unclear at this time, many features of this land-sea breeze circulation are missing in the NARR. Evolution of the diurnal cycle of temperature and the land- sea breeze circulation as the monsoon progresses through the season shows a strong sensitivity to rainfall over the SMO and the coastal plains. Such a relationship likely reflects changes in land surface characteristics, such as evapotranspiration and albedo, as the forests of the SMO respond to monsoonal rains.

Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules - SEER

Cancer.gov

Download the coding manual and training resources for cases diagnosed from 2007 to 2017. Sites included are lung, breast, colon, melanoma of the skin, head and neck, kidney, renal pelvis/ureter/bladder, benign brain, and malignant brain.

Hematopoietic Project - SEER Registrars

Cancer.gov

Use this manual and corresponding database for coding cases diagnosed January 1, 2010 and forward. The changes do not require recoding of old cases. Contains data collection rules for hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms (2010+). Access a database and coding manual.

Burden of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in the United States, 1998-2003.

PubMed

Hernandez, Brenda Y; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill; German, Robert R; Giuliano, Anna; Goodman, Marc T; King, Jessica B; Negoita, Serban; Villalon-Gomez, Jose M

2008-11-15

Invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis is rare in the United States. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an established etiologic agent in at least 40% of penile SCCs, relatively little is known about the epidemiology of this malignancy. Population-based data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program for Cancer Registries, and the National Center for Health Statistics were used to examine invasive penile SCC incidence and mortality in the United States. SEER data were used to examine treatment of penile SCC. From 1998 to 2003, 4967 men were diagnosed with histologically confirmed invasive penile SCC in the United States, representing less than 1% of new cancers in men. The annual, average age-adjusted incidence rate was 0.81 cases per 100,000 men, and rates increased steadily with age. Overall, penile SCC incidence was comparable in whites and blacks, but approximately 2-fold lower in Asians/Pacific Islanders. Rates among Hispanics were 72% higher compared with non-Hispanics. Blacks compared with whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics were diagnosed at significantly younger ages. Higher rates of mortality were also observed among blacks compared with whites and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics. Penile SCC incidence and mortality were elevated in Southern states and in regions of low socioeconomic status (SES). Some histologic and anatomic site differences were observed by race and ethnicity. Treatment of penile SCC varied with age, stage, and other tumor characteristics. There are considerable disparities in invasive penile cancer incidence and mortality in the United States. Key risk factors for excess incidence include Hispanic ethnicity and residence in the South and in low SES regions. Risks for excess mortality include these factors in addition to black race. Decreases in penile cancer incidence and mortality in the United States may be realized in the future as the indirect result of prophylactic HPV vaccination of females. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiology of penile cancer including the role of HPV.

Burden of Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis in the United States, 1998–2003

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Brenda Y.; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill; German, Robert R.; Giuliano, Anna; Goodman, Marc T.; King, Jessica B.; Negoita, Serban; Villalon-Gomez, Jose M.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND Invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis is rare in the United States. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an established etiologic agent in at least 40% of penile SCCs, relatively little is known about the epidemiology of this malignancy. METHODS Population-based data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program for Cancer Registries, and the National Center for Health Statistics were used to examine invasive penile SCC incidence and mortality in the United States. SEER data were used to examine treatment of penile SCC. RESULTS From 1998 to 2003, 4967 men were diagnosed with histologically confirmed invasive penile SCC in the United States, representing less than 1% of new cancers in men. The annual, average age-adjusted incidence rate was 0.81 cases per 100,000 men, and rates increased steadily with age. Overall, penile SCC incidence was comparable in whites and blacks, but approximately 2-fold lower in Asians/Pacific Islanders. Rates among Hispanics were 72% higher compared with non-Hispanics. Blacks compared with whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics were diagnosed at significantly younger ages. Higher rates of mortality were also observed among blacks compared with whites and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics. Penile SCC incidence and mortality were elevated in Southern states and in regions of low socioeconomic status (SES). Some histologic and anatomic site differences were observed by race and ethnicity. Treatment of penile SCC varied with age, stage, and other tumor characteristics. CONCLUSIONS There are considerable disparities in invasive penile cancer incidence and mortality in the United States. Key risk factors for excess incidence include Hispanic ethnicity and residence in the South and in low SES regions. Risks for excess mortality include these factors in addition to black race. Decreases in penile cancer incidence and mortality in the United States may be realized in the future as the indirect result of prophylactic HPV vaccination of females. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiology of penile cancer including the role of HPV. PMID:18980292

Collaborative and Cooperative Learning in Malaysian Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Md. Anowar; Tarmizi, Rohani Ahmad; Ayud, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd

2012-01-01

Collaborative and cooperative learning studies are well recognized in Malaysian mathematics education research. Cooperative learning is used to serve various ability students taking into consideration of their level of understanding, learning styles, sociological backgrounds that develop students' academic achievement and skills, and breeze the…

Observations of the trade wind wakes of Kauai and Oahu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yang; Ma, Jian; Xie, Shang-Ping

2008-02-01

The Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu stand in the path of the east-northeasterly trade winds, creating wakes in the lee. For the first time, the structure of the wakes and their diurnal cycle were observed on a cruise during 18-20 December 2006. The dynamic wakes, characterized by reduced trades, extend about 1 km in height with strong wind shear at the top. Thermal forcing of these small islands also affects the wake circulations. Sea breezes develop in the afternoon turning the winds into westerly near the shore in the wakes. At night, land breezes advect cool air from the islands, creating a shallow cool layer between the sea surface and a capping inversion. The warming in the wake in the afternoon extends much deeper (1.4 km) than the cool layer (0.5 km) at night. The effect of diurnal changes on cloud formation in the wakes is discussed, and the sharp variations in wind velocity lee of the islands may affect ocean currents, waves and mixing.

Divergence of turbulent fluxes in the surface layer: case of a coastal city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pigeon, G.; Lemonsu, A.; Grimmond, C. S. B.; Durand, P.; Thouron, O.; Masson, V.

2007-08-01

This study quantifies the processes that take place in the layer between the mean building height and the measurement level of an energy balance micrometeorological tower located in the dense old core of a coastal European city. The contributions of storage, vertical advection, horizontal advection and radiative divergence for heat are evaluated with the available measurements and with a three-dimensional, high-resolution meteorological simulation that had been evaluated against observations. The study focused on a summer period characterized by sea-breeze flows that affect the city. In this specific configuration, it appears that the horizontal advection is the dominant term. During the afternoon when the sea breeze is well established, correction of the sensible heat flux with horizontal heat advection increases the measured sensible heat flux up to 100 W m-2. For latent heat flux, the horizontal moisture advection converted to equivalent latent heat flux suggests a decrease of 50 W m-2. The simulation reproduces well the temporal evolution and magnitude of these terms.

Using a Network of Boundary Layer Profilers to Characterize the Atmosphere at a Major Spaceport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Lambert, Winifred; Merceret, Francis; Ward, Jennifer

2006-01-01

Space launch, landing, and ground operations at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in east-central Florida are highly sensitive to mesoscale weather conditions throughout the year. Due to the complex land-water interfaces and the important role of mesoscale circulations, a high-resolution network of five 915-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profilers (DRWP) and 44 wind towers was installed over the KSC/CCAFS area. By using quality-controlled 915-MHz DRAT data along with the near-surface tower observations, the Applied Meteorology Unit and KSC Weather Office have studied the development and evolution of various mesoscale phenomena across KSC/CCAFS such as sea and land breezes, low-level jets, and frontal passages. This paper will present some examples of mesoscale phenomena that can impact space operations at KSC/CCAFS, focusing on the utility of the 915-MHz DRWP network in identifying important characteristics of sea/land breezes and low-level jets.

A Study Of The Atmospheric Boundary Layer Using Radon And Air Pollutants As Tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, Toshio; Yunoki, Eiji; Shimizu, Mitsuo; Mori, Tadashige; Tsukamoto, Osamu; Ohashi, Yukitaka, Sahashi, Ken; Maitani, Toshihiko; Miyashita, Koh'ichi; Iwata, Toru; Fujikawa, Yoko; Kudo, Akira; Shaw, Roger H.

Concentrations of radon 222Rn andair pollutants, meteorological parametersnear the surface and vertical profiles of meteorological elements were measured atUchio (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan) 12 km north from the coast ofthe Inland Sea of Japan. In the nighttime, the 222Rn concentration increased in the case of weak winds, but did not increase as much in the case of moderate or strong winds, as had been expected. In the daytime, the 222Rn concentrationheld at a slightly higher than average level for the period from sunrise to about 1100 JST. It is considered that this phenomenon is due to a period of morning calm, that is, a transition period from land breeze to sea breeze.NO, which is sensitive to traffic volume,brought information concerning advection.Oxidant concentrations,which reflect the availability of sunlight,acted in the reverse manner to 222Rnconcentrations. Thus, a set of 222Rn and air pollutants could provide useful information regarding the local conditions of the atmospheric boundary layer.

Breast cancer characteristics at diagnosis and survival among Arab-American women compared to European- and African-American women

PubMed Central

Alford, Sharon Hensley; Schwartz, Kendra; Soliman, Amr; Johnson, Christine Cole; Gruber, Stephen B.; Merajver, Sofia D.

2009-01-01

Background Data from Arab world studies suggest that Arab women may experience a more aggressive breast cancer phenotype. To investigate this finding, we focused on one of the largest settlements of Arabs and Iraqi Christians (Chaldeans) in the US, metropolitan Detroit- a SEER reporting site since 1973. Materials and Methods We identified a cohort of primary breast cancer cases diagnosed 1973–2003. Using a validated name algorithm, women were identified as being of Arab/Chaldean descent if they had an Arab last or maiden name. We compared characteristics at diagnosis (age, grade, histology, SEER stage, and marker status) and overall survival between Arab-, European-, and African-Americans. Results The cohort included 1,652 (2%) women of Arab descent, 13,855 (18%) African-American women, and 63,615 (80%) European-American. There were statistically significant differences between the racial groups for all characteristics at diagnosis. Survival analyses overall and for each SEER stage showed that Arab-American women had the best survival, followed by European-American women. African-American women had the poorest overall survival and were 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.52) times more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive tumor (adjusting for age, grade, marker status, and year of diagnosis). Conclusion Overall, Arab-American women have a distribution of breast cancer histology similar to European-American women. In contrast, the stage, age, and hormone receptor status at diagnosis among Arab-Americans was more similar to African-American women. However, Arab-American women have a better overall survival than even European-American women. PMID:18415013

Breast cancer characteristics at diagnosis and survival among Arab-American women compared to European- and African-American women.

PubMed

Hensley Alford, Sharon; Schwartz, Kendra; Soliman, Amr; Johnson, Christine Cole; Gruber, Stephen B; Merajver, Sofia D

2009-03-01

Data from Arab world studies suggest that Arab women may experience a more aggressive breast cancer phenotype. To investigate this finding, we focused on one of the largest settlements of Arabs and Iraqi Christians (Chaldeans) in the US, metropolitan Detroit- a SEER reporting site since 1973. We identified a cohort of primary breast cancer cases diagnosed 1973-2003. Using a validated name algorithm, women were identified as being of Arab/Chaldean descent if they had an Arab last or maiden name. We compared characteristics at diagnosis (age, grade, histology, SEER stage, and marker status) and overall survival between Arab-, European-, and African-Americans. The cohort included 1,652 (2%) women of Arab descent, 13,855 (18%) African-American women, and 63,615 (80%) European-American women. There were statistically significant differences between the racial groups for all characteristics at diagnosis. Survival analyses overall and for each SEER stage showed that Arab-American women had the best survival, followed by European-American women. African-American women had the poorest overall survival and were 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.23-1.52) times more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive tumor (adjusting for age, grade, marker status, and year of diagnosis). Overall, Arab-American women have a distribution of breast cancer histology similar to European-American women. In contrast, the stage, age, and hormone receptor status at diagnosis among Arab-Americans was more similar to African-American women. However, Arab-American women have a better overall survival than even European-American women.

Career Directions--Renewable Energy Systems Integrator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleeman, Stephen R.

2012-01-01

Renewable energy systems are beginning to appear everywhere. Solar modules are creating "blue roofs" that convert the energy from the sun into household electricity. Solar thermal systems on roofs can generate hot water. Wind turbines catch breezes to provide even more electricity. Recommendations for saving energy, specifying systems for…

78 FR 70547 - Combined Notice of Filings #2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

..., LLC. Description: Filing of CIAC Agreement with Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. to be... the Federal Power Act and Request for Waivers and Expedited Action of Prairie Breeze Wind Energy LLC...: ER14-418-000. Applicants: Southwest Power Pool, Inc. Description: City of Coffeyville Revised Stated...

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing, Buildings 28 and 28A: Steam ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing, Buildings 28 and 28A: Steam Heating System, 1918 (original on file with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia) - Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Building No. 28A, Adjoining Buildings No. 28 & 29 on Shubrick & Breeze Streets, Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA

A Simple Technique for Creating Regional Composites of Sea Surface Temperature from MODIS for Use in Operational Mesoscale NWP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knievel, Jason C.; Rife, Daran L.; Grim, Joseph A.; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Hacker, Joshua P.; Ge, Ming; Fisher, Henry H.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a simple technique for creating regional, high-resolution, daytime and nighttime composites of sea surface temperature (SST) for use in operational numerical weather prediction (NWP). The composites are based on observations from NASA s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Aqua and Terra. The data used typically are available nearly in real time, are applicable anywhere on the globe, and are capable of roughly representing the diurnal cycle in SST. The composites resolution is much higher than that of many other standard SST products used for operational NWP, including the low- and high-resolution Real-Time Global (RTG) analyses. The difference in resolution is key because several studies have shown that highly resolved SSTs are important for driving the air sea interactions that shape patterns of static stability, vertical and horizontal wind shear, and divergence in the planetary boundary layer. The MODIS-based composites are compared to in situ observations from buoys and other platforms operated by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) off the coasts of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and Florida. Mean differences, mean absolute differences, and root-mean-square differences between the composites and the NDBC observations are all within tenths of a degree of those calculated between RTG analyses and the NDBC observations. This is true whether or not one accounts for the mean offset between the skin temperatures of the MODIS dataset and the bulk temperatures of the NDBC observations and RTG analyses. Near the coast, the MODIS-based composites tend to agree more with NDBC observations than do the RTG analyses. The opposite is true away from the coast. All of these differences in point-wise comparisons among the SST datasets are small compared to the 61.08C accuracy of the NDBC SST sensors. Because skin-temperature variations from land to water so strongly affect the development and life cycle of the sea breeze, this phenomenon was chosen for demonstrating the use of the MODIS-based composite in an NWP model. A simulated sea breeze in the vicinity of New York City and Long Island shows a small, net, but far from universal improvement when MODIS-based composites are used in place of RTG analyses. The timing of the sea breeze s arrival is more accurate at some stations, and the near-surface temperature, wind, and humidity within the breeze are more realistic.

National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Souhegan River Watershed Dam Number 35 (NH 00435), NHWRB 175.21, Merrimack River Basin, New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Phase I Inspection Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-08-01

left end of the service platform has spalled over a 12 inch by 4 inch area. This spalling is attributed to excessive concrete vibra- tion. A...reinforced rod on ton of service platform exposed for 12"’ 1-f f Irescenct- NKone notedl Hon n E, com r)-1 12"’ x I" on headwa . seer- S age flowing through...3 nL 3 o m W(\\ +4 X -. = 0 wix .- X a kD X-~ W-I)~ + 0 5 Z I-- wJ 0 - U) w X -n = -o-Xb \\ W -- ~U)~.I-+ + -L a " fJ f It 1.Z’ X - r X tO U- -w LLI- W

The ESCOMPTE program: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cros, B.; Durand, P.; Cachier, H.; Drobinski, Ph.; Fréjafon, E.; Kottmeier, C.; Perros, P. E.; Peuch, V.-H.; Ponche, J.-L.; Robin, D.; Saı̈d, F.; Toupance, G.; Wortham, H.

2004-01-01

In this paper, the "Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution atmosphérique et de Transport d'Emissions" (ESCOMPTE) program is presented. The ESCOMPTE program is used to produce a relevant set of data for testing and evaluating regional pollution models. It includes high-resolution (in space and time) atmospheric emission inventories and field experiments, and covers an area of 120×120 km, centered over the Marseilles-Berre area in the southeast of France during Summer 2001. This region presents a high occurrence of photochemical pollution events, which result from numerous industrial and urban sources of primary pollutants. From the dynamical characteristics of the area, sea-breeze circulation and channeling effects due to terrain features highly influence the location of the pollutant plumes. ESCOMPTE will provide a highly documented framework for dynamics and chemistry studies. Campaign strategies and experimental set up are described. During the planning phase, existing modeling results helped defining the experimental design. The campaign involved surface measurement networks, remote sensing, ship-borne, balloon-borne, and airplane measurements. Mean standard meteorological parameters and turbulent fluxes, ozone, ozone precursors, photochemically active trace gases, and aerosols were measured. Five intensive observation periods (IOPs) were documented using a wide spectrum of instruments, involving aircraft (7) (one of them equipped with a Doppler lidar, the others for in situ meteorological and chemical measurements), constant volume balloons (33), ozone lidars (5), wind profilers (15 sodars and radars), Doppler scanning lidar (1), radiosonde systems (at 4 locations), instrumented ships (2). In addition to the air quality networks from environmental agencies, 15 supplementary ground stations equipped for chemistry and/or meteorology and/or surface flux measurements, were operational. All instruments were calibrated and compared during a Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) week, at the very beginning of the campaign. Fifteen days were intensively documented during five IOPs, referenced as 1, 2a, 2b, 3, and 4. High pollution levels were encountered during sea-breeze conditions observed during IOPs 2b and 3, whereas IOPs 2a and 4 corresponded to moderate wind, and channeled plume regimes. In addition, hourly emissions inventories for all IOPs were established to complete data sets and to finalize the ESCOMPTE database (EDB). Two other projects were associated to ESCOMPTE: urban boundary layer (UBL) and tropospheric water vapor content by GPS tomography (GPS/H 2O). They took advantage of the scientific environment provided by ESCOMPTE.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

PNNL, Florida HERO, and Energy Smart Home Plans helped Ravenwood Homes achieve a HERS 15 with PV or HERS 65 without PV on a home in Florida with SEER 16 AC, concrete block and rigid foam walls, high-performance windows, solar water heating, and 5.98 kW PV.

DETECTION OF PATHOGENS IN DRINKING WATER (SEER 2)

EPA Science Inventory

Project investigators developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique to detect E. coli 0157:H7 cells in environmental samples using previously reported PCR primers for the specific detection of genes involved in biosynthesis of 0157 polysacchari...

Creating a Garden for the Senses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potter, Cindy

2010-01-01

Almost everyone enjoys a walk through a garden, bending to sniff a flower, enjoying a fresh air breeze, listening to water bubbling from a fountain, and watching sunlight dapple through trees and plants. At Allegheny Valley School (AVS), the emphasis on multisensory environments (MSE) for individuals with intellectual and developmental…

When Board Relations Are Smooth, Success Is a Breeze.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Robert

1990-01-01

The key to succeeding in superintendent-board relationships is fitting the school board into a three-part framework of policies, meetings, and goals. Advice is also provided concerning budgeting, becoming acquainted with board members, and handling disagreements. A sidebar classifies board members as builders, shopkeepers, mechanics, cheerleaders,…

76 FR 45845 - Notice of Issuance of Final Determination Concerning a Certain Patient Transport Chair

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-01

... determination. FACTS: Electro Kinetic, headquartered in Germantown, Wisconsin, designs and manufactures... finished patient transport chair. You state that the production of the BREEZ patient transport chair in the U.S. begins with the production of 17 cable subassemblies which include: positive and negative...

40 CFR 420.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Specialized definitions. (a) For the cokemaking subcategory, the term product means the production of coke plus coke breeze. (b) The term by-product cokemaking means operations in which coal is heated in the absence of air to produce metallurgical coke (furnace coke and foundry coke), and the recovery of by...

Sensitivities of Summertime Mesoscale Circulations in the Coastal Carolinas to Modifications of the Kain–Fritsch Cumulus Parameterization

EPA Science Inventory

Two mesoscale circulations, the Sandhills circulation and the sea breeze, influence the initiation of deep convection over the Sandhills and the coast in the Carolinas during the summer months. The interaction of these two circulations causes additional convection in this coastal...

40 CFR 420.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... breeze. (b) The term by-product cokemaking means operations in which coal is heated in the absence of air to produce metallurgical coke (furnace coke and foundry coke), and the recovery of by-products... foundry coke) without recovery of by-products. Does not include co-generation facilities located at non...

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer - SEER Publications

Cancer.gov

Report on rates for new cancer cases, cancer deaths, and trends for the most common cancers in the United States. View the report, read a summary of incidence or mortality, or access materials to share on social media.

Role of meteorological processes in two New England ozone episodes during summer 2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Huiting; Talbot, Robert

2004-10-01

We examined the impact of dynamical processes on spatial variability in ozone (O3) mixing ratios at closely spaced air monitoring sites in southern New Hampshire (NH) during two O3 episodes, July 21-25 and August 2, 2001. The Meso-scale Meteorological Model (MM5) and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) photochemical model were applied together with ground-based atmospheric chemistry observations conducted by the Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (AIRMAP) program at the University of New Hampshire. Observations and model simulations suggested that during the July episode long-range transport via the nocturnal low-level jet (LLJ) played an important role in producing elevated daytime mixing ratios of O3. The marine site Isle of Shoals experienced the highest level of O3, possibly a result of having more diverse upwind sources and less ventilation compared to continental sites. Our model results suggest that during daytime the shallow sea breeze circulation contributes to high levels of O3 at coastal and marine sites while the channeling effect of the Appalachian Mountains influences inland locations. In contrast to the July event, the event on August 2 was characterized by weak and transient synoptic flows, indicating insufficient time for transport of O3 and its precursors from distant sources to inland sites in NH. Backward trajectories for both events showed that O3-rich air masses from the Boston metropolitan area can contribute to the high levels of O3 (>120 ppbv) at coastal and marine sites in southern NH. Our results suggest that the International Consortium of Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT), an international field campaign based in the northeastern United States in summer 2004, should coordinate mobile platforms to investigate the vertical structure and chemical composition of the LLJ, the sea breeze, and the terrain-forced flows, and estimate the influx of O3 and its precursors to central New England.

Mapping air quality zones for coastal urban centers.

PubMed

Freeman, Brian; Gharabaghi, Bahram; Thé, Jesse; Munshed, Mohammad; Faisal, Shah; Abdullah, Meshal; Al Aseed, Athari

2017-05-01

This study presents a new method that incorporates modern air dispersion models allowing local terrain and land-sea breeze effects to be considered along with political and natural boundaries for more accurate mapping of air quality zones (AQZs) for coastal urban centers. This method uses local coastal wind patterns and key urban air pollution sources in each zone to more accurately calculate air pollutant concentration statistics. The new approach distributes virtual air pollution sources within each small grid cell of an area of interest and analyzes a puff dispersion model for a full year's worth of 1-hr prognostic weather data. The difference of wind patterns in coastal and inland areas creates significantly different skewness (S) and kurtosis (K) statistics for the annually averaged pollutant concentrations at ground level receptor points for each grid cell. Plotting the S-K data highlights grouping of sources predominantly impacted by coastal winds versus inland winds. The application of the new method is demonstrated through a case study for the nation of Kuwait by developing new AQZs to support local air management programs. The zone boundaries established by the S-K method were validated by comparing MM5 and WRF prognostic meteorological weather data used in the air dispersion modeling, a support vector machine classifier was trained to compare results with the graphical classification method, and final zones were compared with data collected from Earth observation satellites to confirm locations of high-exposure-risk areas. The resulting AQZs are more accurate and support efficient management strategies for air quality compliance targets effected by local coastal microclimates. A novel method to determine air quality zones in coastal urban areas is introduced using skewness (S) and kurtosis (K) statistics calculated from grid concentrations results of air dispersion models. The method identifies land-sea breeze effects that can be used to manage local air quality in areas of similar microclimates.

Neoadjuvant Radiation Is Associated With Improved Survival in Patients With Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: An Analysis of Data From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Registry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stessin, Alexander M.; Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY; Meyer, Joshua E.

2008-11-15

Purpose: Cancer of the exocrine pancreas is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation has been investigated in several trials as a strategy for downstaging locally advanced disease to resectability. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of neoadjuvant radiation therapy (RT) vs. other treatments on long-term survival for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer in a large population-based sample group. Methods and Materials: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry database (1994-2003) was queried for cases of surgically resected pancreatic cancer. Retrospective analysis was performed. The endpoint of themore » study was overall survival. Results: Using Kaplan-Meier analysis we found that the median overall survival of patients receiving neoadjuvant RT was 23 months vs. 12 months with no RT and 17 months with adjuvant RT. Using Cox regression and controlling for independent covariates (age, sex, stage, grade, and year of diagnosis), we found that neoadjuvant RT results in significantly higher rates of survival than other treatments (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.79; p = 0.001). Specifically comparing adjuvant with neoadjuvant RT, we found a significantly lower HR for death in patients receiving neoadjuvant RT rather than adjuvant RT (HR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.90; p = 0.03). Conclusions: This analysis of SEER data showed a survival benefit for the use of neoadjuvant RT over surgery alone or surgery with adjuvant RT in treating pancreatic cancer. Therapeutic strategies that use neoadjuvant RT should be further explored for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.« less

Invasiveness is associated with metastasis and decreased survival in hemangiopericytoma of the central nervous system.

PubMed

Kinslow, Connor J; Rajpara, Raj S; Wu, Cheng-Chia; Bruce, Samuel S; Canoll, Peter D; Wang, Shih-Hsiu; Sonabend, Adam M; Sheth, Sameer A; McKhann, Guy M; Sisti, Michael B; Bruce, Jeffrey N; Wang, Tony J C

2017-06-01

Meningeal hemangiopericytoma (m-HPC) is a rare tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), which is distinguished clinically from meningioma by its tendency to recur and metastasize. The histological classification and grading scheme for m-HPC is still evolving and few studies have identified tumor features that are associated with metastasis. All patients at our institution with m-HPC were assessed for patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics associated with survival, recurrence, and metastasis. New findings were validated using the SEER database. Twenty-seven patients were identified in our institutional records with m-HPC with a median follow-up time of 85 months. Invasiveness was the strongest predictor of decreased overall survival (OS) and decreased metastasis-free survival (MFS) (p = 0.004 and 0.001). On subgroup analysis, bone invasion trended towards decreased OS (p = 0.056). Bone invasion and soft tissue invasion were significantly associated with decreased MFS (p = 0.001 and 0.012). An additional 315 patients with m-HPC were identified in the SEER database that had information on tumor invasion and 263 with information on distant metastasis. Invasion was significantly associated with decreased survival (HR = 5.769, p = 0.007) and metastasis (OR 134, p = 0.000) in the SEER data. In this study, the authors identified a previously unreported tumor characteristic, invasiveness, as the strongest factor associated with decreased survival and metastasis. The association of invasion with decreased survival and metastasis was confirmed in a separate, larger, publicly available database. Invasion may be a useful parameter in the histological grading and clinical management of hemangiopericytoma of the CNS.

A modified TNM staging system for non-metastatic colorectal cancer based on nomogram analysis of SEER database.

PubMed

Kong, Xiangxing; Li, Jun; Cai, Yibo; Tian, Yu; Chi, Shengqiang; Tong, Danyang; Hu, Yeting; Yang, Qi; Li, Jingsong; Poston, Graeme; Yuan, Ying; Ding, Kefeng

2018-01-08

To revise the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system for colorectal cancer (CRC) based on a nomogram analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, and to prove the rationality of enhancing T stage's weighting in our previously proposed T-plus staging system. Total 115,377 non-metastatic CRC patients from SEER were randomly grouped as training and testing set by ratio 1:1. The Nomo-staging system was established via three nomograms based on 1-year, 2-year and 3-year disease specific survival (DSS) Logistic regression analysis of the training set. The predictive value of Nomo-staging system for the testing set was evaluated by concordance index (c-index), likelihood ratio (L.R.) and Akaike information criteria (AIC) for 1-year, 2-year, 3-year overall survival (OS) and DSS. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to valuate discrimination and gradient monotonicity. And an external validation was performed on database from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (SAHZU). Patients with T1-2 N1 and T1N2a were classified into stage II while T4 N0 patients were classified into stage III in Nomo-staging system. Kaplan-Meier survival curves of OS and DSS in testing set showed Nomo-staging system performed better in discrimination and gradient monotonicity, and the external validation in SAHZU database also showed distinctly better discrimination. The Nomo-staging system showed higher value in L.R. and c-index, and lower value in AIC when predicting OS and DSS in testing set. The Nomo-staging system showed better performance in prognosis prediction and the weight of lymph nodes status in prognosis prediction should be cautiously reconsidered.

Ambient ultraviolet radiation exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma incidence in the United States.

PubMed

VoPham, Trang; Bertrand, Kimberly A; Yuan, Jian-Min; Tamimi, Rulla M; Hart, Jaime E; Laden, Francine

2017-08-18

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most commonly occurring type of primary liver cancer, has been increasing in incidence worldwide. Vitamin D, acquired from sunlight exposure, diet, and dietary supplements, has been hypothesized to impact hepatocarcinogenesis. However, previous epidemiologic studies examining the associations between dietary and serum vitamin D reported mixed results. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between ambient ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and HCC risk in the U.S. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database provided information on HCC cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2014 from 16 population-based cancer registries across the U.S. Ambient UV exposure was estimated by linking the SEER county with a spatiotemporal UV exposure model using a geographic information system. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between ambient UV exposure per interquartile range (IQR) increase (32.4 mW/m 2 ) and HCC risk adjusting for age at diagnosis, sex, race, year of diagnosis, SEER registry, and county-level information on prevalence of health conditions, lifestyle, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Higher levels of ambient UV exposure were associated with statistically significant lower HCC risk (n = 56,245 cases; adjusted IRR per IQR increase: 0.83, 95% CI 0.77, 0.90; p < 0.01). A statistically significant inverse association between ambient UV and HCC risk was observed among males (p for interaction = 0.01) and whites (p for interaction = 0.01). Higher ambient UV exposure was associated with a decreased risk of HCC in the U.S. UV exposure may be a potential modifiable risk factor for HCC that should be explored in future research.

Impact of sex on prognostic host factors in surgical patients with lung cancer.

PubMed

Wainer, Zoe; Wright, Gavin M; Gough, Karla; Daniels, Marissa G; Choong, Peter; Conron, Matthew; Russell, Prudence A; Alam, Naveed Z; Ball, David; Solomon, Benjamin

2017-12-01

Lung cancer has markedly poorer survival in men. Recognized important prognostic factors are divided into host, tumour and environmental factors. Traditional staging systems that use only tumour factors to predict prognosis are of limited accuracy. By examining sex-based patterns of disease-specific survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients, we determined the effect of sex on the prognostic value of additional host factors. Two cohorts of patients treated surgically with curative intent between 2000 and 2009 were utilized. The primary cohort was from Melbourne, Australia, with an independent validation set from the American Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate analyses of validated host-related prognostic factors were performed in both cohorts to investigate the differences in survival between men and women. The Melbourne cohort had 605 patients (61% men) and SEER cohort comprised 55 681 patients (51% men). Disease-specific 5-year survival showed men had statistically significant poorer survival in both cohorts (P < 0.001); Melbourne men at 53.2% compared with women at 68.3%, and SEER 53.3% men and 62.0% women were alive at 5 years. Being male was independently prognostic for disease-specific mortality in the Melbourne cohort after adjustment for ethnicity, smoking history, performance status, age, pathological stage and histology (hazard ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.16, P = 0.012). Sex differences in non-small cell lung cancer are important irrespective of age, ethnicity, smoking, performance status and tumour, node and metastasis stage. Epidemiological findings such as these should be translated into research and clinical paradigms to determine the factors that influence the survival disadvantage experienced by men. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Survival benefit of glioblastoma patients after FDA approval of temozolomide concomitant with radiation and bevacizumab: A population-based study.

PubMed

Zhu, Ping; Du, Xianglin L; Lu, Guangrong; Zhu, Jay-Jiguang

2017-07-04

Few population-based analyses have investigated survival change in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients treated with concomitant radiotherapy-temozolomide (RT-TMZ) and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) and then bevacizumab (BEV) after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, respectively. We aimed to explore the effects on survival with RT-TMZ, adjuvant TMZ and BEV in general GBM population based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) databases. A total of 28933 GBM patients from SEER (N = 24578) and TCR (N = 4355) between January 2000 and December 2013 were included. Patients were grouped into three calendar periods based on date of diagnosis: pre-RT-TMZ and pre-BEV (1/2000-2/2005, P1), post-RT-TMZ and pre-BEV (3/2005-4/2009, P2), and post-RT-TMZ and post-BEV (5/2009-12/2013, P3). The association between calendar period of diagnosis and survival was analyzed in SEER and TCR, separately, by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. We found a significant increase in median overall survival (OS) across the three periods in both populations. In multivariate models, the risk of death was significantly reduced during P2 and further decreased in P3, which remained unchanged after stratification. Comparison and validation analysis were performed in the combined dataset, and consistent results were observed. We conclude that the OS of GBM patients in a "real-world" setting has been steadily improved from January 2000 to December 2013, which likely resulted from the administrations of TMZ concomitant with RT and adjuvant TMZ for newly diagnosed GBM and then BEV for recurrent GBM after respective FDA approval.

The burden of hepatitis C to the United States Medicare system in 2009: Descriptive and economic characteristics.

PubMed

Rein, David B; Borton, Joshua; Liffmann, Danielle K; Wittenborn, John S

2016-04-01

The aim of this work was to estimate and describe the Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2009, incremental annual costs by disease stage, incremental total Medicare HCV payments in 2009 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data covering the years 2002 to 2009. We weighted the 2009 SEER-Medicare data to create estimates of the number of patients with an HCV diagnosis, used an inverse probability-weighted two-part, probit, and generalized linear model to estimate incremental per patient per month costs, and used simulation to estimate annual 2009 Medicare burden, presented in 2014 dollars. We summarized patient characteristics, diagnoses, and costs from SEER-Medicare files into a person-year panel data set. We estimated there were 407,786 patients with diagnosed HCV in 2009, of whom 61.4% had one or more comorbidities defined by the study. In 2009, 68% of patients were diagnosed with chronic HCV only, 9% with cirrhosis, 12% with decompensated cirrhosis (DCC), 2% with liver cancer, 2% with a history of transplant, and 8% who died. Annual costs for patients with chronic infection only and DCC were higher than the values used in many previous cost-effectiveness studies, and treatment of DCC accounted for 63.9% of total Medicare's HCV expenditures. Medicare paid $2.7 billion (credible interval: $0.7-$4.6 billion) in incremental costs for HCV in 2009. The costs of HCV to Medicare in 2009 were substantial and expected to increase over the next decade. Annual costs for patients with chronic infection only and DCC were higher than values used in many cost-effectiveness analyses. © 2015 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

A National-Level Validation of the New American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th Edition Subclassification of Stage IIA and B Anal Squamous Cell Cancer.

PubMed

Goffredo, Paolo; Garancini, Mattia; Robinson, Timothy J; Frakes, Jessica; Hoshi, Hisakazu; Hassan, Imran

2018-06-01

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) updated the staging system of anal squamous cell cancer (ASCC) by subdividing stage II into A (T2N0M0) and B (T3N0M0) based on a secondary analysis of the RTOG 98-11 trial. We aimed to validate this new subclassification utilizing two nationally representative databases. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) [2004-2014] and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database [1988-2013] were queried to identify patients with stage II ASCC. A total of 6651 and 2579 stage IIA (2-5 cm) and 1777 and 641 stage IIB (> 5 cm) patients were identified in the NCDB and SEER databases, respectively. Compared with stage IIB patients, stage IIA patients within the NCDB were more often females with fewer comorbidities. No significant differences were observed between age, race, receipt of chemotherapy and radiation, and mean radiation dose. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics were comparable between patients in both datasets. The 5-year OS was 72% and 69% for stage IIA versus 57% and 50% for stage IIB in the NCDB and SEER databases, respectively (p < 0.001). After adjustment for available demographic and clinical confounders, stage IIB was significantly associated with worse survival in both cohorts (hazard ratio 1.58 and 2.01, both p < 0.001). This study validates the new AJCC subclassification of stage II anal cancer into A and B based on size (2-5 cm vs. > 5 cm) in the general ASCC population. AJCC stage IIB patients represent a higher risk category that should be targeted with more aggressive/novel therapies.

Impact of Age on the Prognosis of Operable Gastric Cancer Patients: An Analysis Based on SEER Database.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Chen, Jinggui; Xu, Yu; Long, Ziwen; Zhou, Ye; Zhu, Huiyan; Wang, Yanong; Shi, Yingqiang

2016-06-01

To investigate the impact of age on the clinicopathological features and survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC), and hope to better define age-specific patterns of GC and possible associated risk factors.Using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database to search the patients who diagnosed GC between 2007 and 2011 with a known age. The overall and 5-year gastric cancer specific survival (CSS) data were obtained using Kaplan-Meier plots. Multivariable Cox regression models were built for the analysis of long-term survival outcomes and risk factors.A total of 7762 GC patients treated with surgery during the 4-year study period were included in the final study cohort. We divided into five subgroups according to the different age ranges. The overall 5-year cause-specific survival (CSS) was 60.3% in Group 1 (below 45 years), 60.3% in the Group 2 (45-55 years), 61.2% in Group 3 (56-65 years), 59.2% in Group 4 (66-75 years), and 59.2% in Group 5 (older than 76 years). Kaplan-Meier plots showed that patients older than 76 years had the worst 5-year CSS of 56.0% rate in all the subgroups. Age, tumor size, primary site, histological type, and Tumor Node Metastasis stage were identified as significant risk factors for poor survival on univariate analysis (all P < 0.001, log-rank test). Additionally, as the age increased, the risk of death for GC demonstrated a significant increase.In conclusion, our analysis of the SEER database revealed that the prognosis of GC varies with age. Patients at age 56 to 65 group have more favorable clinicopathologic characteristics and better CSS than other groups.

Robustness of Next Generation Sequencing on Older Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue

PubMed Central

Carrick, Danielle Mercatante; Mehaffey, Michele G.; Sachs, Michael C.; Altekruse, Sean; Camalier, Corinne; Chuaqui, Rodrigo; Cozen, Wendy; Das, Biswajit; Hernandez, Brenda Y.; Lih, Chih-Jian; Lynch, Charles F.; Makhlouf, Hala; McGregor, Paul; McShane, Lisa M.; Phillips Rohan, JoyAnn; Walsh, William D.; Williams, Paul M.; Gillanders, Elizabeth M.; Mechanic, Leah E.; Schully, Sheri D.

2015-01-01

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies are used to detect somatic mutations in tumors and study germ line variation. Most NGS studies use DNA isolated from whole blood or fresh frozen tissue. However, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are one of the most widely available clinical specimens. Their potential utility as a source of DNA for NGS would greatly enhance population-based cancer studies. While preliminary studies suggest FFPE tissue may be used for NGS, the feasibility of using archived FFPE specimens in population based studies and the effect of storage time on these specimens needs to be determined. We conducted a study to determine whether DNA in archived FFPE high-grade ovarian serous adenocarcinomas from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries Residual Tissue Repositories (RTR) was present in sufficient quantity and quality for NGS assays. Fifty-nine FFPE tissues, stored from 3 to 32 years, were obtained from three SEER RTR sites. DNA was extracted, quantified, quality assessed, and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Following DNA extraction, 58 of 59 specimens (98%) yielded DNA and moved on to the library generation step followed by WES. Specimens stored for longer periods of time had significantly lower coverage of the target region (6% lower per 10 years, 95% CI: 3-10%) and lower average read depth (40x lower per 10 years, 95% CI: 18-60), although sufficient quality and quantity of WES data was obtained for data mining. Overall, 90% (53/59) of specimens provided usable NGS data regardless of storage time. This feasibility study demonstrates FFPE specimens acquired from SEER registries after varying lengths of storage time and under varying storage conditions are a promising source of DNA for NGS. PMID:26222067

SEER Informational Guidebook Training Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylis, Paula

This book includes topics on the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results reporting of human cancer. An anatomy section describes various systems of the human body, emphasizing those sites with high incidence of cancer. A general reference section describes weights and measures, pathology and histology, diagnostic techniques, and medical…

Baxter Community—High Performance Green Building

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2009-02-16

This case study describes the Baxter community built by David Weekley Homes, which is reducing their energy demand through a number of techniques including advanced air sealing techniques, the installation of SEER 14 air conditioners, and Low-e windows in conjunction with conventional framing and insulation.

A Seer of Trump's Coming Parses Repeal and Replace.

PubMed

Kirkner, Richard Mark

2017-03-01

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a freemarket think tank, confidently predicted back in October what few people saw coming-Donald Trump's electoral victory. Now she gives her take on the dismantling of the ACA and what might come after.

Theory of mind in dogs: is the perspective-taking task a good test?

PubMed

Roberts, William A; Macpherson, Krista

2011-12-01

Udell, Dorey, and Wynne (in press) have reported an experiment in which wolves, shelter dogs, and pet dogs all showed a significant preference for begging from a person who faced them (seer) over a person whose back was turned to them (blind experimenter). On tests with the blind person's eyes covered with a bucket, a book, or a camera, pet dogs showed more preference for the seer than did wolves and shelter dogs. We agree with the authors' position that most of these findings are best explained by preexperimental learning experienced by the subjects. We argue, however, that the perspective-taking task is not a good test of the domestication theory or of the theory of mind in dogs. The problem we see is that use of the perspective-taking task, combined with preexperimental learning in all the subjects, strongly biases the outcome in favor of a behavioral learning interpretation. Tasks less influenced by preexperimental training would provide less confounded tests of domestication and theory of mind.

Metadata tables to enable dynamic data modeling and web interface design: the SEER example.

PubMed

Weiner, Mark; Sherr, Micah; Cohen, Abigail

2002-04-01

A wealth of information addressing health status, outcomes and resource utilization is compiled and made available by various government agencies. While exploration of the data is possible using existing tools, in general, would-be users of the resources must acquire CD-ROMs or download data from the web, and upload the data into their own database. Where web interfaces exist, they are highly structured, limiting the kinds of queries that can be executed. This work develops a web-based database interface engine whose content and structure is generated through interaction with a metadata table. The result is a dynamically generated web interface that can easily accommodate changes in the underlying data model by altering the metadata table, rather than requiring changes to the interface code. This paper discusses the background and implementation of the metadata table and web-based front end and provides examples of its use with the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) database.

Comets in Indian Scriptures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das Gupta, P.

2016-01-01

The Indo-Aryans of ancient India observed stars and constellations for ascertaining auspicious times in order to conduct sacrificial rites ordained by the Vedas. Naturally, they would have sighted comets and referred to them in the Vedic texts. In Rigveda (circa 1700-1500 BC) and Atharvaveda (circa 1150 BC), there are references to dhumaketus and ketus, which stand for comets in Sanskrit. Rigveda speaks of a fig tree whose aerial roots spread out in the sky (Parpola 2010). Had this imagery been inspired by the resemblance of a comet's tail with long and linear roots of a banyan tree (ficus benghalensis)? Varahamihira (AD 550) and Ballal Sena (circa AD 1100-1200) described a large number of comets recorded by ancient seers, such as Parashara, Vriddha Garga, Narada, and Garga, to name a few. In this article, we propose that an episode in Mahabharata in which a radiant king, Nahusha, who rules the heavens and later turns into a serpent after he kicked the seer Agastya (also the star Canopus), is a mythological retelling of a cometary event.

The Impact of Multiple Malignancies on Patients with Bladder Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study Using the SEER Database

PubMed Central

Ehrlich, Joshua R.; Schwartz, Michael J.; Ng, Casey K.; Kauffman, Eric C.; Scherr, Douglas S.

2009-01-01

Purpose. To date, no study has examined a population-based registry to determine the impact of multiple malignancies on survival of bladder cancer patients. Our experience suggests that bladder cancer patients with multiple malignancies may have relatively positive outcomes. Materials & Methods. We utilized data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEERs) database to examine survival between patients with only bladder cancer (BO) and with bladder cancer and additional cancer(s) antecedent (AB), subsequent (BS), or antecedent and subsequent to bladder cancer (ABS). Results. Analyses demonstrated diminished survival among AB and ABS cohorts. However, when cohorts were substratified by stage, patients in the high-stage BS cohort appeared to have a survival advantage over high-stage BO patients. Conclusions. Bladder cancer patients with multiple malignancies have diminished survival. The survival advantage of high-stage BS patients is likely a statistical phenomenon. Such findings are important to shape future research and to improve our understanding of patients with multiple malignancies. PMID:20069054

POLYCLONAL ANTISERA AGAINST ESTUARINE CRUSTACEAN VITELLIN AND VITELLOGENIN: DEVELOPMENT OF AN OOGENESIS DISFUNCTION ASSAY AS AN INDICATOR OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION FROM JUVENILE HORMONE AGONIST INSECTICIDES

EPA Science Inventory

Adult female Lepidophthalmus louisianensis, Palaemonetes pugio, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, Mysidopsis bahia, and Uca panacea were collected from estuarine localities in Santa Rosa Sound, Gulf Breeze, FL during late spring and summer of 1999. Mature ovaries were dissected and homog...

Detecting Corrosion Under Paint and Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bastin, Gary L.

2011-01-01

Corrosion is a major concern at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to the proximity of the center to the Atlantic Ocean and to salt water lagoons. High humidity, salt fogs, and ocean breezes, provide an ideal environment in which painted steel structures become corroded. Maintenance of painted steel structures is a never-ending process.

Numerical Studies of the Georgia Coast Sea Breeze

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-12-09

the 1991 Pan American Games. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 74, 5-16. ____, S. Rinard, C. Garza, and G. Hoogenboom , 1996: Wind forecasting for the sailing...events of the Summer Olympic Games. Conf on Coastal Oceanic and Atmos. Pred., Atlanta, GA, pp 336-343. Rinard, S., M. Powell, C. Garza and G. Hoogenboom

Speleothems and Sand Castles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hance, Trevor; Befus, Kevin

2015-01-01

The idea of building sand castles evokes images of lazy summer days at the beach, listening to waves crash, enjoying salty breezes, and just unplugging for a while to let our inner child explore the wonderful natural toys beneath our feet. The idea of exploring caves might evoke feelings and images of claustrophobia or pioneers and Native…

Hanging an Airplane: A Case Study in Static Equilibrium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Debora M.

2009-01-01

Our classrooms are filled with engineering majors who take a semester-long course in static equilibrium. Many students find this class too challenging and drop their engineering major. In our introductory physics class, we often breeze through static equilibrium; to physicists equilibrium is just a special case of Newton's second law. While it is…

Observed and simulated sea breeze characteristics over Rayong coastal area, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phan, Tung Thanh; Manomaiphiboon, Kasemsan

2012-05-01

This work presents the detailed characterization of sea breeze (SB) over the Rayong coastal area, one of the most rapidly developed and highly industrialized areas during the last decade in Thailand, using observation data analysis and fine-resolution (2 km) mesoscale meteorological modeling with incorporation of new land cover and satellite-derived vegetation fraction data sets. The key characteristics considered include frequency of SB occurrence, sea-breeze day (SBD) identification, degree of inland penetration, and boundary layer development. It was found that SBs occur frequently in the winter due mainly to relatively large land-sea temperature contrasts and minimally in the wet season. Monthly mean SB onset and cessation times are at around 12-15 local time (LT) and 18-21 LT, respectively, and its strength peaks during the early- to mid-afternoon. Monthly SB hodographs generally exhibit clockwise rotations, and SB inland penetration (at PCD-T tower) ranges widely with the monthly means of 25-55 km from the coast. Mesoscale MM5 modeling was performed on two selected SBDs (13 January and 16 March 2006), on which the SBs are under weak and onshore strong influences from background winds, respectively. Simulated near-surface winds and temperature were found to be in fair-to-acceptable agreement with the observations. The SB circulation along the Rayong coast is clearly defined with a return flow aloft and a front on 13 January, while it is enhanced by the onshore background winds on 16 March. Another SB along the Chonburi coast also develops separately, but their fronts merge into one in the mid-afternoon, resulting in large area coverage by the SB. Simulated planetary boundary layer height over the land area is significantly affected by a thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) induced by an SB, which is found to be low near the coast and increases toward the front (up to 800-1,000 m along the Rayong coast).

Meteorological impact assessment of possible large scale irrigation in Southwest Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ter Maat, H. W.; Hutjes, R. W. A.; Ohba, R.; Ueda, H.; Bisselink, B.; Bauer, T.

2006-11-01

On continental to regional scales feedbacks between landuse and landcover change and climate have been widely documented over the past 10-15 years. In the present study we explore the possibility that also vegetation changes over much smaller areas may affect local precipitation regimes. Large scale (˜ 10 5 ha) irrigated plantations in semi-arid environments under particular conditions may affect local circulations and induce additional rainfall. Capturing this rainfall 'surplus' could then reduce the need for external irrigation sources and eventually lead to self-sustained water cycling. This concept is studied in the coastal plains in South West Saudi Arabia where the mountains of the Asir region exhibit the highest rainfall of the peninsula due to orographic lifting and condensation of moisture imported with the Indian Ocean monsoon and with disturbances from the Mediterranean Sea. We use a regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS) forced by ECMWF analysis data to resolve the effect of complex surface conditions in high resolution (Δ x = 4 km). After validation, these simulations are analysed with a focus on the role of local processes (sea breezes, orographic lifting and the formation of fog in the coastal mountains) in generating rainfall, and on how these will be affected by large scale irrigated plantations in the coastal desert. The validation showed that the model simulates the regional and local weather reasonably well. The simulations exhibit a slightly larger diurnal temperature range than those captured by the observations, but seem to capture daily sea-breeze phenomena well. Monthly rainfall is well reproduced at coarse resolutions, but appears more localized at high resolutions. The hypothetical irrigated plantation (3.25 10 5 ha) has significant effects on atmospheric moisture, but due to weakened sea breezes this leads to limited increases of rainfall. In terms of recycling of irrigation gifts the rainfall enhancement in this particular setting is rather insignificant.

A Comparison of Software Schedule Estimators

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

SLIM ...................................... 33 SPQR /20 ................................... 35 System -4 .................................... 37 Previous...24 3. PRICE-S Outputs ..................................... 26 4. COCOMO Factors by Category ........................... 28 5. SPQR /20 Activities...actual schedules experienced on the projects. The models analyzed were REVIC, PRICE-S, System-4, SPQR /20, and SEER. ix A COMPARISON OF SOFTWARE

10 CFR 429.43 - Commercial heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER in British thermal units per Watt-hour (Btu/Wh)), the heating...) Package terminal air conditioners: The energy efficiency ratio (EER in British thermal units per Watt-hour... package vertical air conditioner: The energy efficiency ratio (EER in British thermal units per Watt-hour...

10 CFR 429.43 - Commercial heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER in British thermal units per Watt-hour (Btu/Wh)), the heating...) Package terminal air conditioners: The energy efficiency ratio (EER in British thermal units per Watt-hour... package vertical air conditioner: The energy efficiency ratio (EER in British thermal units per Watt-hour...

Nutrient-Chlorophyll Relationships in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida(SEERS)

EPA Science Inventory

The Indian River Lagoon is a highly diverse estuary located along Florida’s Atlantic coast. The system is made up of the main stem and two side-lagoons: the Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon. We segmented the main stem into three sections based on spatial trends in water quality ...

A Fifteen-Year Forecast of Information-Processing Technology. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, George B.

This study developed a variation of the DELPHI approach, a polling technique for systematically soliciting opinions from experts, to produce a technological forecast of developments in the information-processing industry. SEER (System for Event Evaluation and Review) combines the more desirable elements of existing techniques: (1) intuitive…

Awakening the Inner Eye. Intuition in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noddings, Nel; Shore, Paul J.

This book discusses the meaning, importance, and uses of intuition. In the first chapter the development of the conceptual history of intuition is traced from the ancient seers, religion, art, psychology, and philosophy. In chapter 2, work which has contributed to the development of intuition as a philosophical and psychological concept is…

DOE ZERH Case Study: Sunroc Builders, Bates Avenue, Lakeland, FL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2015-09-01

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning affordable home in the hot-humid climate that got HERS 57 without PV, with 6.5” SIP walls and 8.25” SIP roof; uninsulated slab foundation; fresh air intake; SEER 16 ducted air source heat pump.

Handbook for Evaluating Ecological Effects of Pollution at DARCOM Installations. Volume 6. Unexpected Declines in Animal Populations,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

Ecological Research Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Sabine Island Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 Phone: 904 932-5311 This laboratory will assist in...diseases of domestic animals and wildlife in the area? c. Do domestic animal owners vaccinate for any disease? d. What is the prevalent habitat? e

Survival trends in childhood chronic myeloid leukaemia in Southern-Eastern Europe and the United States of America.

PubMed

Karalexi, Maria A; Baka, Margarita; Ryzhov, Anton; Zborovskaya, Anna; Dimitrova, Nadya; Zivkovic, Snezana; Eser, Sultan; Antunes, Luis; Sekerija, Mario; Zagar, Tina; Bastos, Joana; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Florea, Margareta; Coza, Daniela; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Moschovi, Maria; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Kourti, Maria; Graphakos, Stelios; Pombo-de-Oliveira, Maria S; Adami, Hans Olov; Petridou, Eleni Th

2016-11-01

To assess trends in survival and geographic disparities among children (0-14 years) with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) before and after the introduction of molecular therapy, namely tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in Southern-Eastern European (SEE) countries and the USA. We calculated survival among children with CML, acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 14 SEE (1990-2014) cancer registries and the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER, 1990-2012). We used Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among 369 CML cases, substantial improvements were noted in 2-year survival during the post-TKI (range: 81-89%) compared to pre-TKI period (49-66%; HR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.23-0.60). Risk of death was three times higher for <5-year-old children versus those aged 10-14 years (HR: 3.03, 95% CI: 1.85-4.94) and 56% higher for those living in SEE versus SEER (HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.01-2.42). Regardless of geographic area and period of TKI administration, however, age seems to be a significant determinant of CML prognosis (pre-TKI period, HR 0-4y : 2.71, 95% CI: 1.53-4.79; post-TKI period, HR 0-4y : 3.38, 95% CI: 1.29-8.85). Noticeably, post-TKI survival in CML overall approximates that for ALL, whereas therapeutic advancements for AML remain modest. Registry data show that introduction of molecular therapies coincides with revolutionised therapeutic outcomes in childhood CML entailing dramatically improved survival which is now similar to that in ALL. Given that age disparities in survival remain substantial, offering optimal therapy to entire populations is an urgent priority. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Providing Clinicians and Patients With Actual Prognosis: Cancer in the Context of Competing Causes of Death

PubMed Central

Mariotto, Angela B.; Woloshin, Steven; Schwartz, Lisa M.

2014-01-01

Background To isolate progress against cancer from changes in competing causes of death, population cancer registries have traditionally reported cancer prognosis (net measures). But clinicians and cancer patients generally want to understand actual prognosis (crude measures): the chance of surviving, dying from the specific cancer and from competing causes of death in a given time period. Objective To compare cancer and actual prognosis in the United States for four leading cancers—lung, breast, prostate, and colon—by age, comorbidity, and cancer stage and to provide templates to help patients, clinicians, and researchers understand actual prognosis. Method Using population-based registry data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, we calculated cancer prognosis (relative survival) and actual prognosis (five-year overall survival and the “crude” probability of dying from cancer and competing causes) for three important prognostic determinants (age, comorbidity [Charlson-score from 2012 SEER-Medicare linkage dataset] and cancer stage at diagnosis). Result For younger, healthier, and earlier stage cancer patients, cancer and actual prognosis estimates were quite similar. For older and sicker patients, these prognosis estimates differed substantially. For example, the five-year overall survival for an 85-year-old patient with colorectal cancer is 54% (cancer prognosis) versus 22% (actual prognosis)—the difference reflecting the patient’s substantial chance of dying from competing causes. The corresponding five-year chances of dying from the patient’s cancer are 46% versus 37%. Although age and comorbidity lowered actual prognosis, stage at diagnosis was the most powerful factor: The five-year chance of colon cancer death was 10% for localized stage and 83% for distant stage. Conclusion Both cancer and actual prognosis measures are important. Cancer registries should routinely report both cancer and actual prognosis to help clinicians and researchers understand the difference between these measures and what question they can and cannot answer. We encourage them to use formats like the ones presented in this paper to communicate them clearly. PMID:25417239

Incidence and survival of hematological cancers among adults ages ≥75 years.

PubMed

Krok-Schoen, Jessica L; Fisher, James L; Stephens, Julie A; Mims, Alice; Ayyappan, Sabarish; Woyach, Jennifer A; Rosko, Ashley E

2018-04-13

Evaluating population-based data of hematologic malignancies (HMs) in older adults provides prognostic information for this growing demographic. Incidence rates and one- and five-year relative survival rates were examined for specific HMs among adults ages ≥75 years using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Hematologic malignancy cases (Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma (MM), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)) were reported to one of 18 SEER registries. Recent average annual (2010-2014) incidence rates and incidence trends from 1973 to 2014 were examined for cases ages ≥75 years. One- and five-year relative cancer survival rates were examined for adults ages ≥75 years diagnosed 2007-2013, with follow-up into 2014. From 1973 to 2014, incidence rates increased for NHL, MM, and AML, decreased for HL, and remained relatively stable for ALL, CLL, and CML among adults ages ≥75 years. The highest one- and five-year relative survival rates were observed among adults with CLL ages 75-84 years (1 year: 91.8% (95% CI = 91.8-90.8)) and 5 years: 76.5% (95% CI = 74.2-78.6)). The lowest one- and five-year survival rates were observed among adults with AML ages 75-84 (1 year: 18.2% (95% CI = 74.2-78.6) and 5 years: 2.7% (95% CI = 2.0-3.6)). Survival for older adults ages ≥75 years with HMs is poor, particularly for acute leukemia. Understanding the heterogeneity in HM outcomes among older patients may help clinicians better address the hematological cancer burden and mortality in the aging population. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Projections of the Cost of Cancer Care in the United States: 2010–2020

PubMed Central

Robin Yabroff, K.; Shao, Yongwu; Feuer, Eric J.; Brown, Martin L.

2011-01-01

Background Current estimates of the costs of cancer care in the United States are based on data from 2003 and earlier. However, incidence, survival, and practice patterns have been changing for the majority of cancers. Methods Cancer prevalence was estimated and projected by phase of care (initial year following diagnosis, continuing, and last year of life) and tumor site for 13 cancers in men and 16 cancers in women through 2020. Cancer prevalence was calculated from cancer incidence and survival models estimated from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data. Annualized net costs were estimated from recent SEER–Medicare linkage data, which included claims through 2006 among beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with a cancer diagnosis. Control subjects without cancer were identified from a 5% random sample of all Medicare beneficiaries residing in the SEER areas to adjust for expenditures not related to cancer. All cost estimates were adjusted to 2010 dollars. Different scenarios for assumptions about future trends in incidence, survival, and cost were assessed with sensitivity analysis. Results Assuming constant incidence, survival, and cost, we projected 13.8 and 18.1 million cancer survivors in 2010 and 2020, respectively, with associated costs of cancer care of 124.57 and 157.77 billion 2010 US dollars. This 27% increase in medical costs reflects US population changes only. The largest increases were in the continuing phase of care for prostate cancer (42%) and female breast cancer (32%). Projections of current trends in incidence (declining) and survival (increasing) had small effects on 2020 estimates. However, if costs of care increase annually by 2% in the initial and last year of life phases of care, the total cost in 2020 is projected to be $173 billion, which represents a 39% increase from 2010. Conclusions The national cost of cancer care is substantial and expected to increase because of population changes alone. Our findings have implications for policy makers in planning and allocation of resources. PMID:21228314

Racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer mortality rates from 1985 to 2008.

PubMed

Robbins, Anthony S; Siegel, Rebecca L; Jemal, Ahmedin

2012-02-01

Since the early 1980s, colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates for whites and blacks in the United States have been diverging as a result of earlier and larger reductions in death rates for whites. We examined whether this mortality pattern varies by stage at diagnosis. The Incidence-Based Mortality database of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program was used to examine data from the nine original SEER regions. Our main outcome measures were changes in stage-specific mortality rates by race. From 1985 to 1987 to 2006 to 2008, CRC mortality rates decreased for each stage in both blacks and whites, but for every stage, the decreases were smaller for blacks, particularly for distant-stage disease. For localized stage, mortality rates decreased 30.3% in whites compared with 13.2% in blacks; for regional stage, declines were 48.5% in whites compared with 34.0% in blacks; and for distant stage, declines were 32.6% in whites compared with 4.6% in blacks. As a result, the black-white rate ratios increased from 1.17 (95% CI, 0.98 to 1.39) to 1.41 (95% CI, 1.21 to 1.63) for localized disease, from 1.03 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.14) to 1.30 (95% CI, 1.17 to 1.44) for regional disease, and from 1.21 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.34) to 1.72 (95% CI, 1.58 to 1.86) for distant-stage disease. In absolute terms, the disparity in distant-stage mortality rates accounted for approximately 60% of the overall black-white mortality disparity. The black-white disparities in CRC mortality increased for each stage of the disease, but the overall disparity in overall mortality was largely driven by trends for late-stage disease. Concerted efforts to prevent or detect CRC at earlier stages in blacks could improve the worsening black- white disparities.

Providing clinicians and patients with actual prognosis: cancer in the context of competing causes of death.

PubMed

Howlader, Nadia; Mariotto, Angela B; Woloshin, Steven; Schwartz, Lisa M

2014-11-01

To isolate progress against cancer from changes in competing causes of death, population cancer registries have traditionally reported cancer prognosis (net measures). But clinicians and cancer patients generally want to understand actual prognosis (crude measures): the chance of surviving, dying from the specific cancer and from competing causes of death in a given time period. To compare cancer and actual prognosis in the United States for four leading cancers-lung, breast, prostate, and colon-by age, comorbidity, and cancer stage and to provide templates to help patients, clinicians, and researchers understand actual prognosis. Using population-based registry data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, we calculated cancer prognosis (relative survival) and actual prognosis (five-year overall survival and the "crude" probability of dying from cancer and competing causes) for three important prognostic determinants (age, comorbidity [Charlson-score from 2012 SEER-Medicare linkage dataset] and cancer stage at diagnosis). For younger, healthier, and earlier stage cancer patients, cancer and actual prognosis estimates were quite similar. For older and sicker patients, these prognosis estimates differed substantially. For example, the five-year overall survival for an 85-year-old patient with colorectal cancer is 54% (cancer prognosis) versus 22% (actual prognosis)-the difference reflecting the patient's substantial chance of dying from competing causes. The corresponding five-year chances of dying from the patient's cancer are 46% versus 37%. Although age and comorbidity lowered actual prognosis, stage at diagnosis was the most powerful factor: The five-year chance of colon cancer death was 10% for localized stage and 83% for distant stage. Both cancer and actual prognosis measures are important. Cancer registries should routinely report both cancer and actual prognosis to help clinicians and researchers understand the difference between these measures and what question they can and cannot answer. We encourage them to use formats like the ones presented in this paper to communicate them clearly. Published by Oxford University Press 2014.

Breast Density Notification Legislation and Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Early Evidence from the SEER Registry.

PubMed

Richman, Ilana; Asch, Steven M; Bendavid, Eran; Bhattacharya, Jay; Owens, Douglas K

2017-06-01

Twenty-eight states have passed breast density notification laws, which require physicians to inform women of a finding of dense breasts on mammography. To evaluate changes in breast cancer stage at diagnosis after enactment of breast density notification legislation. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we examined changes in stage at diagnosis among women with breast cancer in Connecticut, the first state to enact legislation, compared to changes among women in control states. We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) registry, 2005-2013. Women ages 40-74 with breast cancer. Breast density notification legislation, enacted in Connecticut in October of 2009. Breast cancer stage at diagnosis. Our study included 466,930 women, 25,592 of whom lived in Connecticut. Legislation was associated with a 1.38-percentage-point (95 % CI 0.12 to 2.63) increase in the proportion of women in Connecticut versus control states who had localized invasive cancer at the time of diagnosis, and a 1.12-percentage-point (95 % CI -2.21 to -0.08) decline in the proportion of women with ductal carcinoma in situ at diagnosis. Breast density notification legislation was not associated with a change in the proportion of women in Connecticut versus control states with regional-stage (-0.09 percentage points, 95 % CI -1.01 to 1.02) or metastatic disease (-0.24, 95 % CI -0.75 to 0.28). County-level analyses and analyses limited to women younger than 50 found no statistically significant associations. Single intervention state, limited follow-up, potential confounding from unobserved trends. Breast density notification legislation in Connecticut was associated with a small increase in the proportion of women diagnosed with localized invasive breast cancer in individual-level but not county-level analyses. Whether this finding reflects potentially beneficial early detection or potentially harmful overdiagnosis is not known. Legislation was not associated with changes in regional or metastatic disease.

Infant brain tumors: incidence, survival, and the role of radiation based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data.

PubMed

Bishop, Andrew J; McDonald, Mark W; Chang, Andrew L; Esiashvili, Natia

2012-01-01

To evaluate the incidence of infant brain tumors and survival outcomes by disease and treatment variables. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program November 2008 submission database provided age-adjusted incidence rates and individual case information for primary brain tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2006 in infants less than 12 months of age. Between 1973 and 1986, the incidence of infant brain tumors increased from 16 to 40 cases per million (CPM), and from 1986 to 2006, the annual incidence rate averaged 35 CPM. Leading histologies by annual incidence in CPM were gliomas (13.8), medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (6.6), and ependymomas (3.6). The annual incidence was higher in whites than in blacks (35.0 vs. 21.3 CPM). Infants with low-grade gliomas had the highest observed survival, and those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) or primary rhabdoid tumors of the brain had the lowest. Between 1979 and 1993, the annual rate of cases treated with radiation within the first 4 months from diagnosis declined from 20.5 CPM to <2 CPM. For infants with medulloblastoma, desmoplastic histology and treatment with both surgery and upfront radiation were associated with improved survival, but on multivariate regression, only combined surgery and radiation remained associated with improved survival, with a hazard ratio for death of 0.17 compared with surgery alone (p = 0.005). For ATRTs, those treated with surgery and upfront radiation had a 12-month survival of 100% compared with 24.4% for those treated with surgery alone (p = 0.016). For ependymomas survival was higher in patients treated in more recent decades (p = 0.001). The incidence of infant brain tumors has been stable since 1986. Survival outcomes varied markedly by histology. For infants with medulloblastoma and ATRTs, improved survival was observed in patients treated with both surgery and early radiation compared with those treated with surgery alone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of marital status, insurance status, income, and race/ethnicity on the survival of younger patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the United States.

PubMed

Costa, Luciano J; Brill, Ilene K; Brown, Elizabeth E

2016-10-15

Recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) have been associated with improved survival, predominantly among young and white patients. The authors hypothesized that sociodemographic factors, adjusted for race/ethnicity, influence the survival of younger patients with MM. Overall survival (OS) data were obtained for individuals included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-18) program who were diagnosed with MM before the age of 65 years between 2007 and 2012. The sociodemographic variables addressed were marital status, insurance status, median household income, and educational achievement in the county of residence. Race/ethnicity was defined as a self-reported construct including Hispanic (regardless of race), non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, and other. There were 10,161 cases of MM included with a median follow-up of 27 months (range, 0-71 months; 22,179 person-years). Using multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, SEER registry; age; male sex; and 3 sociodemographic factors including marital status (other than married), insurance status (uninsured or Medicaid), and county-level income (lowest 2 quartiles), but not race/ethnicity, were found to be associated with an increased risk of death. The 4-year estimated OS rate was 71.1%, 63.2%, 53.4%, and 46.5% (P<.001), respectively, for patients with 0, 1, 2, or 3 adverse sociodemographic factors. Hispanic and non-Hispanic black individuals were found to have more adverse sociodemographic factors and worse OS. However, when the population was stratified by the cumulative number of sociodemographic factors, no consistent association between race/ethnicity and OS was observed after adjustment for confounders. Sociodemographic factors that potentially affect care, but not race/ethnicity, were found to influence the survival of younger patients with MM. Cancer 2016;122:3183-90. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Conditional survival is greater than overall survival at diagnosis in patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.

PubMed

Miller, Benjamin J; Lynch, Charles F; Buckwalter, Joseph A

2013-11-01

Conditional survival is a measure of the risk of mortality given that a patient has survived a defined period of time. These estimates are clinically helpful, but have not been reported previously for osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma. We determined the conditional survival of patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma given survival of 1 or more years. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database to investigate cases of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma in patients younger than 40 years from 1973 to 2009. The SEER Program is managed by the National Cancer Institute and provides survival data gathered from population-based cancer registries. We used an actuarial life table analysis to determine any cancer cause-specific 5-year survival estimates conditional on 1 to 5 years of survival after diagnosis. We performed a similar analysis to determine 20-year survival from the time of diagnosis. The estimated 5-year survival improved each year after diagnosis. For local/regional osteosarcoma, the 5-year survival improved from 74.8% at baseline to 91.4% at 5 years-meaning that if a patient with localized osteosarcoma lives for 5 years, the chance of living for another 5 years is 91.4%. Similarly, the 5-year survivals for local/regional Ewing's sarcoma improved from 72.9% at baseline to 92.5% at 5 years, for metastatic osteosarcoma 35.5% at baseline to 85.4% at 5 years, and for metastatic Ewing's sarcoma 31.7% at baseline to 83.6% at 5 years. The likelihood of 20-year cause-specific survival from the time of diagnosis in osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma was almost 90% or greater after 10 years of survival, suggesting that while most patients will remain disease-free indefinitely, some experience cancer-related complications years after presumed eradication. The 5-year survival estimates of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma improve with each additional year of patient survival. Knowledge of a changing risk profile is useful in counseling patients with time. The presence of cause-specific mortality decades after treatment supports lifelong monitoring in this population. Level II, prognostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

16 CFR Appendix H to Part 305 - Cooling Performance and Cost for Central Air Conditioners

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... for Central Air Conditioners Manufacturer's rated cooling capacities (Btu's/hr.) Range of SEER's Low High Single Package Units Central Air Conditioners (Cooling Only): All capacities 10.6 16.5 Heat Pumps (Cooling Function): All capacities 10.6 16.0 Split System Units Central Air Conditioners (Cooling Only...

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, Lake Worth, Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2012-03-01

PNNL and Florida Solar Energy Center worked with Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County to upgrade an empty 1996 home with a 14.5 SEER AC, heat pump water heater, CFLs, more attic insulation, and air sealing to cut utility bills $872 annually.

What We See Is What We Choose: Seers and Seekers with Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srinivasan, Prasanna

2017-01-01

Educators are always reminded that the act of teaching and learning has to be purposeful and highly relevant to all individuals and groups within particular societies. However, societies are highly complex, and they are traversed by varied categorical groupings based on individual and group identities. Taylor contends that categorical identity…

TableSeer: Automatic Table Extraction, Search, and Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ying

2009-01-01

Tables are ubiquitous with a history that pre-dates that of sentential text. Authors often report a summary of their most important findings using tabular structure in documents. For example, scientists widely use tables to present the latest experimental results or statistical data in a condensed fashion. Along with the explosive development of…

Second primary malignancies in chronic myeloid leukemia.

PubMed

Shah, Binay Kumar; Ghimire, Krishna Bilas

2014-12-01

Survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has improved with the use of imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors. There is limited data on second primary malignancies (SPM) in CML. We analyzed the SPMs rates among CML patients reported to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during pre-(1992-2000) and post-(2002-2009) era. We used SEER Multiple Primary-Standardized Incidence Ratio session to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Among 8,511 adult CML patients, 446 patients developed 473 SPMs. The SIR for SPMs in CML patients was significantly higher with observed/expected ratio:1.27, P < 0.05 and absolute excess risk of 32.09 per 10,000 person years compared to general population. The rate of SPMs for cancers of all sites in post-imatinib era were significantly higher compared to pre-imatinib era with observed/expected ratio of 1.48 versus 1.06, P = 0.03. This study showed that risk of SPMs is higher among CML patients. The risk of SPMs is significantly higher in post-imatinib era compared to pre-imatinib era.

NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AIR QUALITY MODELING IN HOUSTON USING URBAN CANOPY PARAMETERS IN MM5 AND CMAQ WITH IMPROVED CHARACTERIZATION OF MESOSCALE LAKE-LAND BREEZE CIRCULATION

EPA Science Inventory

Advanced capability of air quality simulation models towards accurate performance at finer scales will be needed for such models to serve as tools for performing exposure and risk assessments in urban areas. It is recognized that the impact of urban features such as street and t...

DEVELOPMENT OF DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND USE OF TWO VARIATIONS OF GENETICALLY-MODIFIED STREPTOCOCCUS GORDONIL AS LYSIS CONTROLS IN A QPCR ASSAY FOR ASSESSING SANITARY QUALITY OF WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Joseph B. James and Fred J. Genthner

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL

Background: Methods using rapid cycle, real-time, quantitative (QPCR) are being developed for detecting and quantifying Enterococcus spp. as well as other aquatic b...

Meteorological determinants of air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turoldo, F.; Del Frate, S.; Gallai, I.; Giaiotti, D. B.; Montanari, F.; Stel, F.; Goi, D.

2010-09-01

Air quality is the result of complex phenomena, among which the major role is played by human emissions of pollutants. Atmospheric processes act as determinants, e.g., modulating, dumping or amplifying the effects of emissions as an orchestra's director does with musical instruments. In this work, a series of small-scale and meso-scale meteorological determinants of air-quality are presented as they are observed in an area characterized by complex orography (Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the north-eastern side of Italy). In particular, attention is devoted to: i) meso-scale flows favouring the persistence of high concentrations of particulate matter; ii) meso-scale periodic flows (breezes) favouring high values of particulate matter; iii) local-scale thermodynamic behaviour favouring high atmospheric values of nitrogen oxides. The effects of these different classes of determinants are shown through comparisons between anthropic emissions (mainly traffic) and ground-based measurements. The relevance of complex orography (relatively steep relieves near to the sea) is shown for the meso-scale flows and, in particular, for local-scale periodic flows, which favour the increase of high pollutants concentrations mainly in summer, when the breezes regime is particularly relevant. Part of these results have been achieved through the ETS - Alpine Space EU project iMONITRAF!

Wind power: The new energy policy 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-10-01

Increasing use of renewable energy sources is an important aspect of the new energy policy of the State government of Schleswig-Holstein. Technical and industrial innovation are involved. By expanding and developing these regionally available inexhaustible energy sources to generate electricity and heat, we are contributing to environmental protection and helping to reduce adverse affects on the climate. We are also taking our limited resources into account and expanding energy generation in a logical manner. Wind energy is the most attractive renewable energy source for Schleswig-Holstein because our State is well known for its strong winds and constant fresh breeze. For this reason the State government has made expansion of wind energy one of its primary areas of emphasis. The goals of our promotion measures includes ongoing technical and engineering development of wind energy facilities, increasing the level of use of the wind, and increasing the percentage of wind energy used for power generation. This brochure is intended to demonstrate the significance and possibilities of wind energy for our State, to outline the legal requirements for erecting wind energy facilities, and to explain the many promotion measures. It represents a favorable breeze for wind.

A multi-resolution ensemble study of a tropical urban environment and its interactions with the background regional atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xian-Xiang; Koh, Tieh-Yong; Entekhabi, Dara; Roth, Matthias; Panda, Jagabandhu; Norford, Leslie K.

2013-09-01

This study employed the Weather Research and Forecasting model with a single-layer urban canopy model to investigate the urban environment of a tropical city, Singapore. The coupled model was evaluated against available observational data from a sensor network and flux tower. The effects of land use type and anthropogenic heat (AH) on the thermal and wind environment were investigated with a series of sensitivity tests using an ensemble approach for low advection, high convective available potential energy, intermonsoon season cases. The diurnal cycle and spatial pattern of urban heat island (UHI) intensity and planetary boundary layer height were investigated. The mean UHI intensity peaked in the early morning at 2.2°C, reaching 2.4°C in industrial areas. Sea and land breezes developed during daytime and nighttime, respectively, with the former much stronger than the latter. The model predicted that sea breezes from different coastlines of the Malay Peninsula meet and converge, inducing strong updrafts. AH was found to play roles in all the processes studied, while the effect of different land use types was most pronounced during nighttime, and least visible near noon.

Are Cancer Registries Unconstitutional?

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Robert H; Clarke, Christina A; Crawley, LaVera M; Glaser, Sally L

2010-01-01

Population-based cancer registration, mandated throughout the United States, is central to quantifying the breadth and impact of cancer. It facilitates research to learn what causes cancer to develop and, in many cases, lead to death. However, as concerns about privacy increase, cancer registration has come under question. Recently, its constitutionality was challenged on the basis of 1) the vagueness of statutory aims to pursue public health versus the individual privacy interests of cancer patients, and 2) the alleged indignity of one's individual medical information being transmitted to government authorities. Examining cancer registry statutes in states covered by the US National Cancer Institute's SEER Program and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries, we found that cancer registration laws do state specific public health benefits, and offer reasonable limits and safeguards on the government's possession of private medical information. Thus, we argue that cancer registration would survive constitutional review, is compatible with the civil liberties protected by privacy rights in the U.S., satisfies the conditions that justify public health expenditures, and serves human rights to enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, the advances of science, and the benefits of government efforts to prevent and control disease. PMID:20199835

The use of adjuvant radiotherapy in elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer: changes in practice patterns after publication of Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9343.

PubMed

Palta, Manisha; Palta, Priya; Bhavsar, Nrupen A; Horton, Janet K; Blitzblau, Rachel C

2015-01-15

The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9343 randomized phase 3 trial established lumpectomy and adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen alone, rather than both radiotherapy and tamoxifen, as a reasonable treatment course for women aged >70 years with clinical stage I (AJCC 7th edition), estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. An analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was undertaken to assess practice patterns before and after the publication of this landmark study. The SEER database from 2000 to 2009 was used to identify 40,583 women aged ≥70 years who were treated with breast-conserving surgery for clinical stage I, estrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer. The percentage of patients receiving radiotherapy and the type of radiotherapy delivered was assessed over time. Administration of radiotherapy was further assessed across age groups; SEER cohort; and tumor size, grade, and laterality. Approximately 68.6% of patients treated between 2000 and 2004 compared with 61.7% of patients who were treated between 2005 and 2009 received some form of adjuvant radiotherapy (P < .001). Coinciding with a decline in the use of external beam radiotherapy, there was an increase in the use of implant radiotherapy from 1.4% between 2000 and 2004 to 6.2% between 2005 to 2009 (P < .001). There were significant reductions in the frequency of radiotherapy delivery over time across age groups, tumor size, and tumor grade and regardless of laterality (P < .001 for all). Randomized phase 3 data support the omission of adjuvant radiotherapy in elderly women with early-stage breast cancer. Analysis of practice patterns before and after the publication of these data indicates a significant decline in radiotherapy use; however, nearly two-thirds of women continue to receive adjuvant radiotherapy. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Time to Second-line Treatment and Subsequent Relative Survival in Older Patients With Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma.

PubMed

Ammann, Eric M; Shanafelt, Tait D; Larson, Melissa C; Wright, Kara B; McDowell, Bradley D; Link, Brian K; Chrischilles, Elizabeth A

2017-12-01

Novel targeted therapies offer excellent short-term outcomes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). However, there is disagreement over how widely these therapies should be used in place of standard chemo-immunotherapy (CIT). We investigated whether stratification on the length of the interval between first-line (T1) and second-line (T2) treatments could identify a subgroup of older patients with relapsed CLL/SLL with an expectation of normal overall survival, and for whom CIT could be an acceptable treatment choice. Patients with relapsed CLL/SLL who received T2 were identified from the SEER-Medicare Linked Database. Five-year relative survival (RS5; ie, the ratio of observed survival to expected survival based on population life tables) was assessed after stratifying patients on the interval between T1 and T2. We then validated our findings in the Mayo Clinic CLL Database. Among 1974 SEER-Medicare patients (median age = 77 years) who received T2 for relapsed CLL/SLL, longer time-to-retreatment was associated with a modestly improved prognosis (P = .01). However, even among those retreated ≥ 3 years after T1, survival was poor compared with the general population (RS5 = 0.50 or lower in SEER-Medicare). Similar patterns were observed in the younger Mayo validation cohort, although prognosis was better overall among the Mayo patients, and patients with favorable fluorescence in situ hybridization retreated ≥ 3 years after T1 had close to normal expected survival (RS5 = 0.87). Further research is needed to quantify the degree to which targeted therapies provide meaningful improvements over CIT in long-term outcomes for older patients with relapsed CLL/SLL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geographic Variation in the Use of Adjuvant Therapy among Elderly Patients with Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PubMed Central

Tien, Yu-Yu; Wright, Kara; Halfdanarson, Thorvardur R.; Abu-Hejleh, Taher; Brooks, John M.

2016-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent geographic variation in adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients would remain, after controlling for patient and area-level characteristics. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort of 18,410 Medicare beneficiaries with resected, stage I-IIIA NSCLC was identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Adjuvant therapies were classified as adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), postoperative radiation therapy (PORT), or no adjuvant therapy. Predicted treatment probabilities were estimated for each patient given their clinical, demographic, and area-level characteristics with multivariate logistic regression. Area Treatment Ratios were used to estimate the propensity of patients in a local area to receive an adjuvant treatment, controlling for characteristics of patients in the area. Areas were categorized as low-, mid- and high-use and mapped for two representative SEER registries. Results Overall, 10%, 12%, and 78% of patients received ACT, PORT and no adjuvant therapy, respectively. Age, sex, stage, type and year of surgery, and comorbidity were associated with adjuvant treatment use. Even after adjusting for patient characteristics, substantial geographic treatment variation remained. High- and low-use areas were tightly juxtaposed within and across SEER registries, often within the same county. In some local areas, patients were up to eight times more likely to receive adjuvant therapy than expected, given their characteristics. On the other hand, almost a quarter of patients lived in local areas in which patients were more than three times less likely to receive ACT than would be predicted. Conclusion Controlling for patient and area-level covariates did not remove geographic variation in adjuvant therapies for resected NSCLC patients. A greater proportion of patients were treated less than expected, rather than more than expected. Further research is needed to better understand its causes and potential impact on outcomes. PMID:27040848

Hodgkin disease survival in Europe and the U.S.: prognostic significance of morphologic groups.

PubMed

Allemani, Claudia; Sant, Milena; De Angelis, Roberta; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Coebergh, Jan Willem

2006-07-15

The survival of patients with Hodgkin disease (HD) varies markedly across Europe and generally is shorter than the survival of patients in the U.S. To investigate these differences, the authors compared population-based HD survival in relation to morphologic type among populations in Europe and the U.S. The authors analyzed 6726 patients from 37 cancer registries that participated in EUROCARE-3 and 3442 patients from 9 U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. Patients were diagnosed during 1990 to 1994 and were followed for at least 5 years. The European registries were grouped into EUROCARE West, EUROCARE UK, and EUROCARE East. Morphologic groups were nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte depletion, lymphocyte predominance, and not otherwise specified (NOS). The influence of morphology on geographic differences in 5-year relative survival was explored by using multiple regression analysis. In the model that was adjusted by age, gender, and years since diagnosis, the relative excess risk (RER) of death was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.81-1.05) in EUROCARE West, 1.15 (95% CI, 1.04-1.28) in EUROCARE UK, and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.21-1.60) in EUROCARE East (compared with the SEER data). When morphology was included, EUROCARE UK and SEER no longer differed (RER, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95-1.18). Morphology distribution varied markedly across Europe and much less in the U.S., with nodular sclerosis less common in Europe (45.9%) than the U.S. (61.7%). The RER data showed that patients who had lymphocyte depletion, NOS, and mixed cellularity had a significantly worse prognoses compared with patients who had nodular sclerosis, whereas patients who had lymphocyte predominance had the best prognosis. The current results provide population-based evidence that morphology strongly influences the prognosis of patients with HD. However differences in the morphologic case mix explains only some of the geographic variations observed in survival.

Second Primary Malignancies in Patients with Well-differentiated/Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma.

PubMed

Jung, Eric; Fiore, Marco; Gronchi, Alessandro; Grignol, Valerie; Pollock, Raphael E; Chong, Susan S; Chopra, Shefali; Hamilton, Ann S; Tseng, William W

2018-06-01

Well-differentiated/dedifferentiated (WD/DD) liposarcoma is a rare malignancy of putative adipocyte origin. To our knowledge, there have only been isolated case reports describing second primary cancer in patients with this disease. We report on a combined case series of such patients and explore the frequency of this occurrence using a national cancer database. Demographics and clinicopathological data were collected from patients with WD/DD liposarcoma who were found to have a concurrent or subsequent second primary cancer, at one of three sarcoma referral centers from 2014-2016. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was also queried to identify adult patients diagnosed with WD/DD liposarcoma between 1973-2012. Observed/expected (O/E) ratios of second primary malignancies among these cases were calculated by comparison to the age-adjusted cancer incidence in the general population using SEER*stat software. In total, 26 out of 312 consecutive patients (8.3%) with WD/DD liposarcoma at our centers had a second primary cancer identified within 2 years of liposarcoma diagnosis. In the SEER database, among 1,845 patients with WD/DD liposarcoma, 75 (4.1%) had a second cancer within 2 years after liposarcoma diagnosis (O/E ratio=1.81, 99% confidence interval(CI)=1.33-2.40). Patients less than 50 years old at the time of liposarcoma diagnosis had a higher O/E ratio for second primary malignancy compared to older patients. A total of 269 patients (14.6%) developed a second cancer (O/E=1.33, 99% CI=1.15-1.54). In some patients with WD/DD liposarcoma, there appears to be an increased risk of having a second primary cancer. Further validation and investigation is needed, as this finding may have implications (e.g. closer screening) for patients with this disease. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

The Impact of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy on Hospitalization Outcomes in the SEER-Medicare Population With Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pollom, Erqi L., E-mail: erqiliu@stanford.edu; Wang, Guanying; Harris, Jeremy P.

Purpose: We examined the impact of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on hospitalization rates in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare population with anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the SEER-Medicare database. We identified patients with nonmetastatic anal SCC diagnosed between 2001 and 2011 and treated with chemoradiation therapy. We assessed the relation between IMRT and first hospitalization by use of a multivariate competing-risk model, as well as instrumental variable analysis, using provider IMRT affinity as our instrument. Results: Of the 1165 patients included in our study, 458 (39%) receivedmore » IMRT. IMRT use increased over time and was associated more with regional and provider characteristics than with patient characteristics. The 3- and 6-month cumulative incidences of first hospitalization were 41.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37.3%-46.4%) and 47.6% (95% CI, 43.0%-52.2%), respectively, for the IMRT cohort and 46.7% (95% CI, 43.0%-50.4%) and 52.1% (95% CI, 48.4%-55.7%), respectively, for the non-IMRT cohort. IMRT was associated with a decreased hazard of first hospitalization compared with 3-dimensional radiation techniques (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58-0.84; P=.0002). Instrumental variable analysis suggested an even greater reduction in hospitalizations with IMRT after controlling for unmeasured confounders. There was a trend toward improved overall survival with IMRT, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.77 (95% CI, 0.59-1.00; P=.05). Conclusions: The use of IMRT is associated with reduced hospitalizations in elderly patients with anal SCC. Further work is warranted to understand the long-term health and cost impact of IMRT, particularly for patient subgroups most at risk of toxicity and hospitalization.« less

Trends in Incidence and Factors Affecting Survival of Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma in the United States.

PubMed

Mukkamalla, Shiva Kumar R; Naseri, Hussain M; Kim, Byung M; Katz, Steven C; Armenio, Vincent A

2018-04-01

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) includes cancers arising from the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. The etiology and pathogenesis of CCA remain poorly understood. This is the first study investigating both incidence patterns of CCA from 1973 through 2012 and demographic, clinical, and treatment variables affecting survival of patients with CCA. Patients and Methods: Using the SEER database, age-adjusted incidence rates were evaluated from 1973-2012 using SEER*Stat software. A retrospective cohort of 26,994 patients diagnosed with CCA from 1973-2008 was identified for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to perform multivariate survival analysis. Results: Overall incidence of CCA increased by 65% from 1973-2012. Extrahepatic CCA (ECC) remained more common than intrahepatic CCA (ICC), whereas the incidence rates for ICC increased by 350% compared with a 20% increase seen with ECC. Men belonging to non-African American and non-Caucasian ethnicities had the highest incidence rates of CCA. This trend persisted throughout the study period, although African Americans and Caucasians saw 50% and 59% increases in incidence rates, respectively, compared with a 9% increase among other races. Median overall survival (OS) was 8 months in patients with ECC compared with 4 months in those with ICC. Our survival analysis found Hispanic women to have the best 5-year survival outcome ( P <.0001). OS diminished with age ( P <.0001), and ECC had better survival outcomes compared with ICC ( P <.0001). Patients who were married, were nonsmokers, belonged to a higher income class, and underwent surgery had better survival outcomes compared with others ( P <.0001). Conclusions: This is the most up-to-date study of CCA from the SEER registry that shows temporal patterns of increasing incidence of CCA across different races, sexes, and ethnicities. We identified age, sex, race, marital status, income, smoking status, anatomic location of CCA, tumor grade, tumor stage, radiation, and surgery as independent prognostic factors for OS in patients with CCA. Copyright © 2018 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Confocal imaging of transmembrane voltage by SEER of di-8-ANEPPS.

PubMed

Manno, Carlo; Figueroa, Lourdes; Fitts, Robert; Ríos, Eduardo

2013-03-01

Imaging, optical mapping, and optical multisite recording of transmembrane potential (V(m)) are essential for studying excitable cells and systems. The naphthylstyryl voltage-sensitive dyes, including di-8-ANEPPS, shift both their fluorescence excitation and emission spectra upon changes in V(m). Accordingly, they have been used for monitoring V(m) in nonratioing and both emission and excitation ratioing modes. Their changes in fluorescence are usually much less than 10% per 100 mV. Conventional ratioing increases sensitivity to between 3 and 15% per 100 mV. Low sensitivity limits the value of these dyes, especially when imaged with low light systems like confocal scanners. Here we demonstrate the improvement afforded by shifted excitation and emission ratioing (SEER) as applied to imaging membrane potential in flexor digitorum brevis muscle fibers of adult mice. SEER--the ratioing of two images of fluorescence, obtained with different excitation wavelengths in different emission bands-was implemented in two commercial confocal systems. A conventional pinhole scanner, affording optimal setting of emission bands but less than ideal excitation wavelengths, achieved a sensitivity of up to 27% per 100 mV, nearly doubling the value found by conventional ratioing of the same data. A better pair of excitation lights should increase the sensitivity further, to 35% per 100 mV. The maximum acquisition rate with this system was 1 kHz. A fast "slit scanner" increased the effective rate to 8 kHz, but sensitivity was lower. In its high-sensitivity implementation, the technique demonstrated progressive deterioration of action potentials upon fatiguing tetani induced by stimulation patterns at >40 Hz, thereby identifying action potential decay as a contributor to fatigue onset. Using the fast implementation, we could image for the first time an action potential simultaneously at multiple locations along the t-tubule system. These images resolved the radially varying lag associated with propagation at a finite velocity.

Health Related Quality of Life Following Radical Cystectomy: Comparative Analysis from the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey.

PubMed

Winters, Brian R; Wright, Jonathan L; Holt, Sarah K; Dash, Atreya; Gore, John L; Schade, George R

2017-09-05

Health related quality of life after radical cystectomy and ileal conduit is not well quantified at the population level. We evaluated health related quality of life in patients with bladder cancer compared with noncancer controls and patients with colorectal cancer using data from SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results)-MHOS (Medicare Health Outcomes Survey). SEER-MHOS data from 1998 to 2013 were used to identify patients with bladder cancer and those with colorectal cancer who underwent extirpative surgery with ileal conduit or colostomy creation, respectively. A total of 166 patients with bladder cancer treated with radical cystectomy were propensity matched 1:5 to 830 noncancer controls and compared with 154 patients with colorectal cancer. Differences in Mental and Physical Component Summary scores as well as component subscores were determined between patients with bladder cancer, patients with colorectal cancer and noncancer controls. SEER-MHOS patients were more commonly male and white with a mean ± SD age of 77 ± 6 years. Patients treated with radical cystectomy had significantly lower Physical Component Summary scores, select physical subscale scores and all mental subscale scores compared with noncancer controls. These findings were similar in the subset of 40 patients treated with radical cystectomy who had available preoperative and postoperative survey data. Global Mental Component Summary scores did not differ significantly between the groups. No significant differences were observed in global Mental Component Summary, Physical Component Summary or subscale scores between patients with bladder cancer and patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with bladder cancer who undergo radical cystectomy have significant declines in multiple components of physical and mental health related quality of life vs noncancer controls, which mirror those of patients with colorectal cancer. Further longitudinal study is required to better codify the effectors of poor health related quality of life after radical cystectomy to improve patient expectations and outcomes. Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk of Cerebrovascular Events in Elderly Patients After Radiation Therapy Versus Surgery for Early-Stage Glottic Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hong, Julian C.; Kruser, Tim J.; Gondi, Vinai

Purpose: Comprehensive neck radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to increase cerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk in advanced-stage head-and-neck cancer. We assessed whether more limited neck RT used for early-stage (T1-T2 N0) glottic cancer is associated with increased CVD risk, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Methods and Materials: We identified patients ≥66 years of age with early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer from SEER diagnosed from 1992 to 2007. Patients treated with combined surgery and RT were excluded. Medicare CPT codes for carotid interventions, Medicare ICD-9 codes for cerebrovascular events, and SEER data for stroke as the causemore » of death were collected. Similarly, Medicare CPT and ICD-9 codes for peripheral vascular disease (PVD) were assessed to serve as an internal control between treatment groups. Results: A total of 1413 assessable patients (RT, n=1055; surgery, n=358) were analyzed. The actuarial 10-year risk of CVD was 56.5% (95% confidence interval 51.5%-61.5%) for the RT cohort versus 48.7% (41.1%-56.3%) in the surgery cohort (P=.27). The actuarial 10-year risk of PVD did not differ between the RT (52.7% [48.1%-57.3%]) and surgery cohorts (52.6% [45.2%-60.0%]) (P=.89). Univariate analysis showed an increased association of CVD with more recent diagnosis (P=.001) and increasing age (P=.001). On multivariate Cox analysis, increasing age (P<.001) and recent diagnosis (P=.002) remained significantly associated with a higher CVD risk, whereas the association of RT and CVD remained not statistically significant (HR=1.11 [0.91-1.37,] P=.31). Conclusions: Elderly patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer have a high burden of cerebrovascular events after surgical management or RT. RT and surgery are associated with comparable risk for subsequent CVD development after treatment in elderly patients.« less

Two Suspected Worksite or Occupational Cancer Clusters Investigated Using the Cancer Data Registry and Multiple Primary Standardized Incidence Ratios in SEER *Stat-Idaho, 2013-2014.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Mariana; Johnson, Christopher J; Scoppa, Steve; Carter, Kris

2016-01-01

Investigations of suspected cancer clusters are resource intensive and rarely identify true clusters: among 428 publicly reported US investigations during 1990-2011, only 1 etiologic cluster was identified. In 2013, the Cancer Data Registry of Idaho (CDRI) was contacted regarding a suspected cancer cluster at a worksite (Cluster A) and among an occupational cohort (Cluster B). We investigated to determine whether these were true clusters. We derived investigation cohorts for Cluster A from facility-provided employee records and for Cluster B from professional licensing records. We used Registry PlusTM Link Plus to conduct probabilistic linkage of cohort members to the CDRI registry and completed matching through manual review by using LexisNexis®, Accurint®, and the Social Security Death Index. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) using the MP-SIR session type in SEER*Stat and Idaho and US referent populations. For Cluster A, we identified 34 cancer cases during 9,689 person-years; compared with Idaho and US rates, 95 percent CIs for SIRs included 1.0 for 24 of 24 primary site categories. For Cluster B, we identified 78 cancer cases during 15,154 person-years; compared with Idaho rates, 95 percent CI for SIRs included 1.0 for 23 of 24 primary site categories and was less than 1.0 for lung and bronchus cancers, and compared with US rates, 95 percent CI for SIRs included 1.0 for 22 of 24 primary site categories and was less than 1.0 for lung and bronchus and colorectal cancers. We identified no statistically significant excess in cancer incidence in either cohort. SEER*Stat's MP-SIR is an efficient tool for performing SIR assessments, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists-recommended step when investigating suspected cancer clusters.

Persisting inequalities in survival patterns of childhood neuroblastoma in Southern and Eastern Europe and the effect of socio-economic development compared with those of the US.

PubMed

Panagopoulou, Paraskevi; Georgakis, Marios K; Baka, Margarita; Moschovi, Maria; Papadakis, Vassilios; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Kourti, Maria; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Dana, Helen; Tragiannidis, Athanasios; Bouka, Evdoxia; Antunes, Luis; Bastos, Joana; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Eser, Sultan; Gheorghiu, Raluca; Šekerija, Mario; Trojanowski, Maciej; Žagar, Tina; Zborovskaya, Anna; Ryzhov, Anton; Dessypris, Nick; Morgenstern, Daniel; Petridou, Eleni Th

2018-06-01

Neuroblastoma outcomes vary with disease characteristics, healthcare delivery and socio-economic indicators. We assessed survival patterns and prognostic factors for patients with neuroblastoma in 11 Southern and Eastern European (SEE) countries versus those in the US, including-for the first time-the Nationwide Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies and Solid Tumours (NARECHEM-ST)/Greece. Overall survival (OS) was calculated in 13 collaborating SEE childhood cancer registries (1829 cases, ∼1990-2016) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), US (3072 cases, 1990-2012); Kaplan-Meier curves were used along with multivariable Cox regression models assessing the effect of age, gender, primary tumour site, histology, Human Development Index (HDI) and place of residence (urban/rural) on survival. The 5-year OS rates varied widely among the SEE countries (Ukraine: 45%, Poland: 81%) with the overall SEE rate (59%) being significantly lower than in SEER (77%; p < 0.001). In the common registration period within SEE (2000-2008), no temporal trend was noted as opposed to a significant increase in SEER. Age >12 months (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.8-4.7 in subsequent age groups), male gender (HR: 1.1), residence in rural areas (HR: 1.3), living in high (HR: 2.2) or medium (HR: 2.4) HDI countries and specific primary tumour location were associated with worse outcome; conversely, ganglioneuroblastoma subtype (HR: 0.28) was associated with higher survival rate. Allowing for the disease profile, children with neuroblastoma in SEE, especially those in rural areas and lower HDI countries, fare worse than patients in the US, mainly during the early years after diagnosis; this may be attributed to presumably modifiable socio-economic and healthcare system performance differentials warranting further research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of prognostic nomograms based on different nodal staging systems in patients with resected gastric cancer.

PubMed

Wang, Zi-Xian; Qiu, Miao-Zhen; Jiang, Yu-Ming; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; Li, Guo-Xin; Xu, Rui-Hua

2017-01-01

Purpose: Previous studies addressing the optimal nodal staging system in patients with resected gastric cancer have shown inconsistent results, and the optimal system for development of prognostic nomograms remains unclear. In this study, we compared prognostic nomograms based on the metastatic lymph node (MLN) count, lymph node ratio (LNR), and log odds of metastatic lymph nodes (LODDS) to predict the 5-year overall survival in patients with resected gastric cancer. Methods: We analysed 15,320 patients with resected gastric cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 1988 and 2010. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. When assessed as a continuous covariate with restricted cubic splines, each MLN, LNR, and LODDS variable was incorporated into a nomogram with other significant prognosticators to predict the 5-year overall survival. A two-centre Chinese dataset (1,595 cases) was used as external validation data. Results: The discriminatory abilities of the MLN-, LNR-, and LODDS-based nomograms were comparable (concordance indices: 0.744, 0.741, and 0.744, respectively, in the SEER set, P > 0.152 for all pairwise comparisons; 0.715, 0.712, and 0.713, respectively, in the Chinese set, P > 0.445 for all pairwise comparisons). The discriminatory abilities of the three nomograms were all superior to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM classification (concordance indices: 0.713, P < 0.001 for all in the SEER set; and 0.693, P < 0.001 for all in the Chinese set). The discriminatory abilities of the nomograms were comparable regardless of the number of nodes examined. Moreover, decision curve analyses indicated similar net benefits of using the nomograms. Conclusion: MLN-, LNR-, and LODDS should be considered equally in the development of multivariate prognostic models and nomograms to refine the prediction of survival among patients with resected gastric cancer.

Decrease in incidence of colorectal cancer among individuals 50 years or older following recommendations for population-based screening

PubMed Central

Murphy, Caitlin C.; Sandler, Robert S.; Sanoff, Hanna K.; Yang, Y. Claire; Lund, Jennifer L.; Baron, John A.

2016-01-01

Background & Aims The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the U.S. is increasing among adults younger than age 50 years, but incidence has decreased among older populations after population-based screening was recommended in the late 1980s. Blacks have higher incidence than whites. These patterns have prompted suggestions to lower the screening age for average-risk populations or in blacks. At the same time, there has been controversy over whether reductions in CRC incidence can be attributed to screening. We examined age- and race-related differences in CRC incidence over a 40-year time period. Methods We determined the age-standardized incidence of CRC, from 1975 through 2013, using the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of cancer registries. We calculated incidence for 5-year age categories (20—24 years through 80—84 years and 85 years or older) for different time periods (1975—1979, 1980—1984, 1985—1989, 1990—1994, 1995—1999, 2000—2004, 2005—2009, and 2010—2013), tumor subsite (proximal colon, descending colon, and rectum), and stages at diagnosis (localized, regional, and distant). Analyses were stratified by race (white vs. black). Results There were 450,682 incident cases of CRC reported to the SEER registries over the entire period (1975—2013). Overall incidence was 75.5/100,000 white persons and 83.6/100,000 black persons. CRC incidence peaked during 1980 through 1989 and began to decrease in 1990. In whites and blacks, the decreases in incidence between the time periods of 1980—1984 and 2010—2013 were limited to the screening-age population (ages 50 years or older). Between these time periods, there was a 40% decrease in incidence among whites compared with a 26% decrease in incidence among blacks. Decreases in incidence were greater for cancers of the distal colon and rectum, and reductions in these cancers were greater among whites than blacks. CRC incidence among persons younger than 50 years decreased slightly between 1975—1979 and 1990. However, among persons 20—49 years old, CRC incidence decreased from 8.3/100,000 persons in 1990—1994 to 11.4/100,000 persons in 2010—2013; incidence rates in younger adults were similar for whites and blacks. Conclusions Based on an analysis of the SEER cancer registries from 1975 through 2013, CRC incidence decreased only among individuals 50 years or older between the time periods of 1980—1984 and 2010—2013. Incidence increased modestly among individuals 20—49 years old between the time periods of 1990—1994 and 2010—2013; the decision of whether to recommend screening for younger populations requires a formal analysis of risks and benefits. Our observed trends provide compelling evidence that screening has had an important role in reducing CRC incidence. PMID:27609707

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Sensitivity Comparisons for Warm Season Convective Initiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Hoeth, Brian; Blottman, Peter F.

2007-01-01

Mesoscale weather conditions can significantly affect the space launch and landing operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). During the summer months, land-sea interactions that occur across KSC and CCAFS lead to the formation of a sea breeze, which can then spawn deep convection. These convective processes often last 60 minutes or less and pose a significant challenge to the forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS) Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG). The main challenge is that a "GO" forecast for thunderstorms and precipitation at the Shuttle Landing Facility is required at the 90 minute deorbit decision for End Of Mission (EOM) and at the 30 minute Return To Launch Site (RTLS) decision. Convective initiation, timing, and mode also present a forecast challenge for the NWS in Melbourne, FL (MLB). The NWS MLB issues such tactical forecast information as Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF5), Spot Forecasts for fire weather and hazardous materials incident support, and severe/hazardous weather Watches, Warnings, and Advisories. Lastly, these forecasting challenges can also affect the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS), which provides comprehensive weather forecasts for shuttle launch, as well as ground operations, at KSC and CCAFS. The need for accurate mesoscale model forecasts to aid in their decision making is crucial. This study specifically addresses the skill of different model configurations in forecasting warm season convective initiation. Numerous factors influence the development of convection over the Florida peninsula. These factors include sea breezes, river and lake breezes, the prevailing low-level flow, and convergent flow due to convex coastlines that enhance the sea breeze. The interaction of these processes produces the warm season convective patterns seen over the Florida peninsula. However, warm season convection remains one of the most poorly forecast meteorological parameters. To determine which configuration options are best to address this specific forecast concern, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, which has two dynamical cores - the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM) was employed. In addition to the two dynamical cores, there are also two options for a "hot-start" initialization of the WRF model - the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS; McGinley 1995) and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS; Brewster 1996). Both LAPS and ADAS are 3- dimensional weather analysis systems that integrate multiple meteorological data sources into one consistent analysis over the user's domain of interest. This allows mesoscale models to benefit from the addition of highresolution data sources. Having a series of initialization options and WRF cores, as well as many options within each core, provides SMG and MLB with considerable flexibility as well as challenges. It is the goal of this study to assess the different configurations available and to determine which configuration will best predict warm season convective initiation.

Opening Up Access to Open Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Ross

2008-01-01

As the corpus of gray literature grows and the price of serials rises, it becomes increasingly important to explore ways to integrate the free and open Web seamlessly into one's collections. Users, after all, are discovering these materials all the time via sites such as Google Scholar and Scirus or by searching arXiv.org or CiteSeer directly.…

Dickens, Chesterton, and the Future of English Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rampton, David

2014-01-01

The idea that literature has inspirational qualities and is produced by Great Writers has repeatedly come under attack as literary studies seeks to redefine itself. Yet the ability to think of the writer as genius, seer, moral guide, all the romantic possibilities, in short, is arguably as important as it has always been. Engaging with what G.K.…

Induced Air Movement for Wide-Span Schools in Humid Asia. Educational Building Digest 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

Schools in the hot and humid zones of the Asian region are narrow to ensure good ventilation. The purpose of this report is to show that it is possible, through appropriate design, to obtain sufficient breeze for thermal comfort in buildings as wide as 15 meters. Some of the conclusions of a study of the subject are summarized. The summary is…

Wind Forecasting for Yacht Racing at the 1991 Pan American Games.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Mark D.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Sailing Team competed successfully at the 1991 Pan American Games despite having no previous experience with the sailing conditions off Havana, Cuba. One of the key factors in the team's success was meteorological support in the form of wind climate analysis; application of sea breeze forecasting typical of the south Florida area, modified by tropical weather systems; and effective preregatta briefing.

Coastal Storm Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-04-30

hindcasting, whereas a con- stant azimuth and storm velocity are used in forecasting. Tte results of hindcast analysis at several sites are included in... undersea breeze conditions and wave- current interactions in the surf zone; Tech. Report TC-149-4, ONR Contract N00014-69-C-0107, Tetra Tech, Inc., Pasadena...MARYLAND 21043 DEPARTMENT UF GEOSCIENrES PURI)IUL UNIVERSITY -DR. RURERT L. MILLER ___ LAFAYE- TTE , INDIANA 47901 DEPARTMENT OF GEOPHYSICAL SCIENCES

Surf Zone Sediment Size Variation, Morphodynamics, and Hydrodynamics During Sea/Land Breeze and El-Norte Storm in Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrushaid, T.; Figlus, J.; Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Puleo, J. A.; Dellapenna, T. M.

2016-02-01

Coastlines around the world are under ever-increasing pressure due to population trends, commerce, and geophysical processes like tropical storms and erosion. This multi-institutional field campaign was conducted to improve our understanding of complex nearshore processes under varying forcing conditions on a microtidal, sandy beach located in Sisal, Yucatan from 3/27 to 4/12/2014. Hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability were investigated during: (1) a cold front event (referred to as El-Norte); (2) land breeze (LB); and (3) sea breeze (SB). The instrumentation layout included three surf/swash zone cross-shore transects where water elevation, suspended sediment concentration, bed load, and current velocities were measured, as well as several offshore ADCP for hydrodynamic measurements. TKE, τb, ɛ and were estimated using the data obtained from surf zone ADV. In addition, Hs and Tsin the surf zone were computed using measurements from ADV pressure sensors, while a separate pressure transducer was used to obtain water free-surface elevation within the swash zone. During SB cycles the study area experienced wind velocities reaching up to 12ms-1, and 15ms-1 during El-Norte. Elevated wind stress during El-Norte resulted in Hs of 1.5m and 0.6m in water depths of 10m and 0.4m, respectively. Surface sediment grab samples during SB/LB cycles showed that the swash zone had a moderately well sorted distribution with a mean grain size of 0.5mm, while poor sorting and a mean grain size of 0.7mm were found during El-Norte. Additionally, measured bathymetry data showed evidence for offshore sandbar migration during strong offshore currents (0.4ms-1) during El-Norte, while onshore sandbar migration was evident during SB/LB periods (0.3ms-1 and 0.1ms-1, respectively). This study highlights how different weather forcing conditions affect hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability on a sandy beach. Aside from furthering our knowledge on these complex processes, the findings may lead to improved coastal management strategies for sandy coastlines.

Observational Evidence For The Comet-Like Heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bzowski, M.; Czechowski, A.; Funsten, H. O.; Grygorczuk, J.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Kubiak, M. A.; Moebius, E.; McComas, D. J.; Schwadron, N.; Sokol, J. M.; Swaczyna, P.; Zirnstein, E.

2017-12-01

The shape of the heliosphere is a subject of ongoing debate. The traditional comet-like image has recently been challenged by ideas of croissant- or bubble-like forms. Here we seek to resolve this debate by confronting available observational evidence with global modeling. Several MHD models of a comet-like heliosphere were used to simulate the radius and center of the IBEX Ribbon to fit the direction and intensity of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). These models assumed the secondary ENA emission mechanism, which was recently strengthened due to direct measurement of the distance to the Ribbon source most likely just beyond the heliopause. The same mechanism explains the dependence of the Ribbon center position on energy due to the latitudinal structure of solar wind. The obtained ISMF vector agrees among these models and is consistent with the draped IMF measured by Voyager. Independently, we have shown by modeling that the Warm Breeze discovered by IBEX is naturally created in the outer heliosheath due to charge-exchange between interstellar He+ ions and He atoms. Now we simulate the Warm Breeze for various directions and intensities of the local IMF and we find that the simulation results are in best agreement with IBEX observations for the IMF vector obtained from the above-mentioned Ribbon analyses and Voyager measurements. These arguments, along with the co-planarity of the inflow directions of interstellar neutral H, He, O, and the Warm Breeze, directions of the Ribbon center and ISMF, as well as measurements of the plasma flow directions in the IHS by Voyager 2 indicate the existence of a common plane of approximate mirror symmetry of the heliosphere, defined by the directions of ISMF and the Sun's motion through the local interstellar medium. This suggests that the global structure of the outer heliosphere mostly results from the conditions in the local interstellar medium and the Sun's velocity. This evidence, obtained from very different spacecraft and measurement techniques, supports a homogeneous and consistent picture of the heliosphere with a comet-like shape and organized by the plane of approximate mirror symmetry.

In situ airborne measurements of aerosol optical properties during photochemical pollution events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallet, M.; van Dingenen, R.; Roger, J. C.; Despiau, S.; Cachier, H.

2005-02-01

Dry aerosol optical properties (scattering, absorbing coefficients, and single scattering albedo) were derived from in situ airborne measurements during two photochemical pollution events (25 and 26 June) observed during the Experience sur Site pour Contraindre les Modeles de Pollution atmospherique et de Transport d'Emissions (ESCOMPTE) experiment. Two flights were carried out during daytime (one during the morning and one at noon) over a domain, allowing the investigation of how an air pollution event affects the particle optical properties. Both horizontal distribution and vertical profiles are presented. Results from the horizontal mapping show that plumes of enhanced scattering and absorption are formed in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) during the day in the sea breeze-driven outflow of the coastal urban-industrial area of Marseille-Fos de Berre. The domain-averaged scattering coefficient (at 550 nm) over land σs changes from 35 (28) Mm-1 during land breeze to 63 (43) Mm-1 during sea breeze on 25 June (26 June), with local maxima reaching > 100 Mm-1. The increase in the scattering coefficient is associated with new particle formation, indicative of secondary aerosol formation. Simultaneously, the domain-averaged absorption coefficient increases from 5.6 (3.4) Mm-1 to 9.3 (8.0) Mm-1. The pollution plume leads to strong gradients in the single scattering albedo ωo over the domain studied, with local values as low as 0.73 observed inside the pollution plume. The role of photochemistry and secondary aerosol formation during the 25 June case is shown to increase ωo and to make the aerosol more `reflecting' while the plume moves away from the sources. The lower photochemical activity, observed in the 26 June case, induces a relatively higher contribution of black carbon, making the aerosol more absorbing. Results from vertical profiles at a single near-urban location in the domain indicate that the changes in optical properties happen almost entirely within the PBL. No significant variation of σs, σa, and ωo is observed in the upper layer (1-3 km), where the aerosol optical properties are considered to be well mixed.

The use of fractionated fly ash of thermal power plants as binder for production of briquettes of coke breeze and dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temnikova, E. Yu; Bogomolov, A. R.; Lapin, A. A.

2017-11-01

In this paper, we propose to use the slag and ash material of thermal power plants (TPP) operating on pulverized coal fuel. The elemental and chemical composition of fly ash of five Kuzbass thermal power plants differs insignificantly from the composition of the mineral part of coking coal because coke production uses a charge, whose composition defines the main task: obtaining coke with the required parameters for production of iron and steel. These indicators are as follows: CRI reactivity and strength of the coke residue after reaction with CO2 - CSR. The chemical composition of fly ash of thermal power plants and microsilica with bulk density of 0.3-0.6 t/m3 generated at production of ferroalloys was compared. Fly ash and microsilica are the valuable raw material for production of mineral binder in manufacturing coke breeze briquettes (fraction of 2-10 mm) and dust (0-200 μm), generated in large quantities during coking (up to 40wt%). It is shown that this binder is necessary for production of smokeless briquettes with low reactivity, high strength and cost, demanded for production of cupola iron and melting the silicate materials, basaltic rocks in low-shaft furnaces. It is determined that microsilica contains up to 90% of silicon oxide, and fly ash contains up to 60% of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide of up to 20%. On average, the rest of fly ash composition consists of basic oxides. According to calculation by the VUKHIN formula, the basicity index of briquette changes significantly, when fly ash is introduced into briquette raw material component as a binder. The technology of coke briquette production on the basis of the non-magnetic fraction of TPP fly ash in the ratio from 3.5:1 to 4.5:1 (coke breeze : coke dust) with the addition of the binder component to 10% is proposed. The produced briquettes meet the requirements by CRI and require further study on CSR requirements.

Warm Breeze due to Charge Exchange Collisions Between Neutral He Atoms and He+ Ions in the Outer Heliosheath.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubiak, M. A.; Bzowski, M.; Czechowski, A.; Grygorczuk, J.

2017-12-01

We simulated the signal due to neutral He atoms, observed by Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), assuming that charge exchange collisions between neutral He atoms and He+ ions operate everywhere between the heliopause and a distant source region in the local interstellar cloud (LIC). We chose the limiting distance of calculations at 5000 AU, where the neutral and charged components are in thermal equilibrium. From that distance we integrated the signal for test particles that we know they reach the IBEX detector, calculating for each particle the balance of losses and gains in the LIC, the ionization losses inside the HP, and the distribution function at 5000 AU. The resulting statistical weights were integrated over speed, inflow direction, collimator transmission, observation times, and IBEX spin angle bins to simulate the count rate actually observed by IBEX. We simulated several test cases of the plasma flow within the outer heliosheath and investigated the signal generation for plasma flows both in the presence and in the absence of the interstellar magnetic field. We found that a signal in the portion of IBEX data identified as due to the Warm Breeze does not arise when a homogeneous plasma flow in front of the heliopause is assumed. However, it appears immediately when any reasonable disturbance in the plasma flow due to the presence of the heliosphere is assumed. We obtained a good qualitative agreement between the data and the simulations for a model flow with the velocity vector of the unperturbed gas and the direction and intensity of magnetic field adopted from recent determinations. We conclude that direct-sampling observations of neutral He atoms at 1 AU from the Sun are a sensitive tool for investigating the flow of interstellar matter in the outer heliosheath; the Warm Breeze is indeed the secondary population of interstellar helium, as it was hypothesized earlier; the WB signal is consistent with that predicted by comet-like models of the heliosphere with a distortion from axial symmetry by the interstellar magnetic field of 3 microgauss, directed close to the Ribbon direction.

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gilbride, Theresa L.

2009-03-30

This is a case study of the Lakeland, FLorida, Habitat for Humanity affiliate, which has partnered with DOE's Building America program to homes that achieve energy savings of 30% or more over the Building America baseline home (a home built to the 1993 Model Energy Code). The article includes a description of the energy-efficiency features used. The Lakeland affiliate built several of its homes with ducts in conditioned space, which minimizes heat losses and gains. They also used high-efficiency SEER 14 air conditioners; radiant barriers in the roof to keep attics cooler; above-code high-performance dual-pane vinyl-framed low-emissivity windows; a passivemore » fresh air duct to the air handler; and duct blaster and blower door testing of every home to ensure the home's air tightness. This case study was also prepared as a flier titled "High Performance Builder Spotlight: Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, Lakeland, Florida,: which was cleared as PNNL-SA-59068 and distributed at the International Builders’ Show Feb 13-16, 2008, in Orlando, Florida.« less

Scenario Evaluator for Electrical Resistivity survey pre-modeling tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Terry, Neil; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Robinson, Judith L.; Slater, Lee D.; Halford, Keith J.; Binley, Andrew; Lane, John W.; Werkema, Dale D.

2017-01-01

Geophysical tools have much to offer users in environmental, water resource, and geotechnical fields; however, techniques such as electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) are often oversold and/or overinterpreted due to a lack of understanding of the limitations of the techniques, such as the appropriate depth intervals or resolution of the methods. The relationship between ERI data and resistivity is nonlinear; therefore, these limitations depend on site conditions and survey design and are best assessed through forward and inverse modeling exercises prior to field investigations. In this approach, proposed field surveys are first numerically simulated given the expected electrical properties of the site, and the resulting hypothetical data are then analyzed using inverse models. Performing ERI forward/inverse modeling, however, requires substantial expertise and can take many hours to implement. We present a new spreadsheet-based tool, the Scenario Evaluator for Electrical Resistivity (SEER), which features a graphical user interface that allows users to manipulate a resistivity model and instantly view how that model would likely be interpreted by an ERI survey. The SEER tool is intended for use by those who wish to determine the value of including ERI to achieve project goals, and is designed to have broad utility in industry, teaching, and research.

Final Report: Cooling Seasonal Energy and Peak Demand Impacts of Improved Duct Insulation on Fixed-Capacity (SEER 13) and Variable-Capacity (SEER 22) Heat Pumps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Withers, C.; Cummings, J.; Nigusse, B.

A new generation of full variable-capacity, central, ducted air-conditioning (AC) and heat pump units has come on the market, and they promise to deliver increased cooling (and heating) efficiency. They are controlled differently than standard single-capacity (fixed-capacity) systems. Instead of cycling on at full capacity and then cycling off when the thermostat is satisfied, they can vary their capacity over a wide range (approximately 40% to 118% of nominal full capacity), thus staying “on” for up to twice as many hours per day compared to fixed-capacity systems of the same nominal capacity. The heating and cooling capacity is varied bymore » adjusting the indoor fan air flow rate, compressor, and refrigerant flow rate as well as the outdoor unit fan air flow rate. Note that two-stage AC or heat pump systems were not evaluated in this research effort. The term dwell is used to refer to the amount of time distributed air spends inside ductwork during space-conditioning cycles. Longer run times mean greater dwell time and therefore greater exposure to conductive gains and losses.« less

Racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer mortality: 1960-2005.

PubMed

Soneji, Samir; Iyer, Shally Shalini; Armstrong, Katrina; Asch, David A

2010-10-01

We examined whether racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer survival changed between 1960 and 2005. We used US Mortality Multiple-Cause-of-Death Data Files and intercensal estimates to calculate standardized mortality rates by gender and race from 1960 to 2005. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to estimate stage-specific colorectal cancer survival. To account for SEER sampling uncertainty, we used a bootstrap resampling procedure and fit a Cox proportional hazards model. Between 1960-2005, patterns of decline in mortality rate as a result of colorectal cancer differed greatly by gender and race: 54% reduction for White women, 14% reduction for Black women, 39% reduction for White men, and 28% increase for Black men. Blacks consistently experienced worse rates of stage-specific survival and life expectancy than did Whites for both genders, across all age groups, and for localized, regional, and distant stages of the disease. The rates of stage-specific colorectal cancer survival differed among Blacks when compared with Whites during the 4-decade study period. Differences in stage-specific life expectancy were the result of differences in access to care or quality of care. More attention should be given to racial disparities in colorectal cancer management.

Where the Sun Breezes Don't Stop Shining. Teachers' Journals and Students' Writings on First-Time Homebuying from the New American Homeowners Project, February-June 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Catherine, Ed.

The writings of both teachers and students participating in the New Americans Homeowners Project, a project combining English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and information on first-time home-buying for immigrants in language minority groups are presented. The project provided training and technical assistance to ESL teachers, and reached…

16. Coke 'fines' bin at Furnace D. After delivery to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

16. Coke 'fines' bin at Furnace D. After delivery to the trestle bins, the coke was screened and the coke 'fines' or breeze, were transported by conveyor to the coke fines bins where it was collected and leaded into dump trucks. The coke fines were then sold for fuel to a sinter plant in Lorain, Ohio. - Central Furnaces, 2650 Broadway, east bank of Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH

Science 101: What Causes Major Wind Patterns, Such as Trade Winds?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Bill

2014-01-01

A convenient place to begin discussing overall wind patterns on Earth is to explain coastal winds. If you live near the coast (that would be near an ocean) or even near a large lake, you probably know the general pattern of winds there. During the day, breezes tend to blow from the water in toward the land, and at night, this tends to reverse,…

Severe Weather Guide - Mediterranean Ports. 4. Augusta Bay

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

the year. The track o-f strong extratropical storms has moved northward and poses little tiireat to Augusta Bay. Sea breezes are daily occurrences...as temperatures, begin to moderate. Extratropi cal systems begin to transit Europe as the storm track moves southward in advance of the winter...SUB-GROUP 18. SUBJECT TERMS {Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) Storm haven Mediterranean meteorology Augusta Bay

Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-28

Sometimes these winds are interrupted by cool seasonal storms with southerly winds; dry offshore storms with southeasterly winds, called Santa Ana...winds; coastal eddies during the warm season with southeasterly winds over the inner waters; and alternating land and sea breezes that occur closer to...mean temperature of 14 oC (58 oF). Total annual precipitation averages 21.3 centimeters (8.4 inches). The dry season ranges from May to September and

Thunderstorm clouds over Western Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The overshooting tops of a series of strong thunderstorms are seen in this late afternoon scene over the African Ivory Coast, exact location unknown. The low sun angle of the setting sun casts long shadows, accentuating the shapes and heights of the clouds. This seasonal thunderstorm is an African Intertropical Front located along the land/sea breeze interface over the West African coastline and is a normal occurance for this time of year.

Study of the thermal internal boundary layer during sea-breeze events in the complex coastal area of Marseille

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calmet, Isabelle; Mestayer, Patrice

2016-02-01

A revisit of two sea-breeze episodes is presented, based on higher spatial resolution large eddy simulations (LES) of the lower atmosphere over the coastal area of Marseille and measurements obtained during the June 2001 experimental campaign UBL-ESCOMPTE. The focus is on the development of thermal internal boundary layers (TIBL) over a complex topography: the dynamic and thermal mechanisms that contribute to the TIBL growth and its further degeneration into a convective mixed layer, the respective influences of the coast shape, the large-scale flow above and the local low-level slope flows. The high-resolution LES permits exploring the potential temperature and turbulent kinetic energy fields in relation with the evolution of TIBL depth and heat fluxes along representative streamlines. Several theoretical TIBL depth models are further compared to the LES-deduced inversion height and other parameters, leading to a discussion of the relationships between the values of these parameters, the respective influences of the governing physical phenomena, and the TIBL behaviour. A threshold value of 0.35 is proposed for the friction velocity to convective velocity scale ratio u */ w * between the two regimes where the TIBL is either dominated by dynamical kinetic energy production or controlled by buoyancy.

Season-dependent size distribution of aerosols over the tropical coastal environment of south-west India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aryasree, S.; Nair, Prabha R.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of a detailed study on the size characteristics of aerosols at the tropical coastal site Thiruvananthapuram based on the in-situ measurements of size resolved aerosol number density using an aerosol spectrometer, covering a period of 28 months from September 2011 to December 2013. The diurnal pattern of aerosol number density is characterized by day time low and a two-fold increase during nighttime and these changes are closely associated with the strong mesoscale features namely the sea breeze and land breeze prevailing at the site. Aerosol Number Size Distribution (NSD) depicts a multi-modal nature with two prominent modes, one ≤0.1 μm and other ∼1 μm. Two other less pronounced modes are also observed in the NSD, one ∼0.3-0.5 μm and other ∼5-8 μm. The NSDs also exhibited strong seasonal changes linked with the synoptic meteorological feature of this region namely the South Asian monsoon. The seasonal NSDs were parameterized and analyzed. In addition to this, the effects of meteorological parameters temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and airflow patterns on aerosol number density as revealed by partial correlation analysis were found to be aerosol size dependent.

A Case Study On the Relative Influence of Free Tropospheric Subsidence, Long Range Transport and Local Production in Modulating Ozone Concentrations over Qatar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayoub, Mohammed; Ackermann, Luis; Fountoukis, Christos; Gladich, Ivan

2016-04-01

The Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) operates a network of air quality monitoring stations (AQMS) around the Doha metropolitan area and an ozonesonde station with regular weekly launches and occasional higher frequency launch experiments (HFLE). Six ozonesondes were launched at 0700 LT/0400 UTC and 1300 LT/1000 UTC over a three day period between 10-12 September, 2013. We present the analysis of the ozonesonde data coupled with regional chemical transport modeling over the same time period using WRF-Chem validated against both the ozonesonde and surface AQMS measurements. The HFLE and modeling show evidence of both subsidence and transboundary transport of ozone during the study period, coupled with a strong sea breeze circulation on the 11th of September resulting in elevated ozone concentrations throughout the boundary layer. The development of the sea breeze during the course of the day and influence of the early morning residual layer versus daytime production is quantified. The almost complete titration of ozone in the morning hours of 11 September, 2013 is attributed to local vehicular emissions of NOx and stable atmospheric conditions prevailing over the Doha area. The relative contribution of long range transport of ozone along the Arabian Gulf coast and local urban emissions are discussed.

Response of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Soil Layer to a High Altitude, Dense Aerosol Cover.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.; Pittock, A. B.; Walsh, K.

1990-01-01

The response of the atmospheric boundary layer to the appearance of a high-altitude smoke layer has been investigated in a mesoscale numerical model of the atmosphere. Emphasis is placed on the changes in mean boundary-layer structure and near-surface temperatures when smoke of absorption optical depth (AOD) in the, range 0 to 1 is introduced. Calculations have been made at 30°S, for different soil thermal properties and degrees of surface wetness, over a time period of several days during which major smoke-induced cooling occurs. The presence of smoke reduces the daytime mixed-layer depth and, for large enough values of AOD, results in a daytime surface inversion with large cooling confined to heights of less than a few hundred meters. Smoke-induced reductions in daytime soil and air temperatures of several degrees are typical, dependent critically upon soil wetness and smoke AOD. Locations near the coast experience reduced cooling whenever there is a significant onshore flow related to a sea breeze (this would also be the case with a large-scale onshore flow). The sea breeze itself disappears for large enough smoke AOD and, over sloping coastal terrain, a smoke-induced, offshore drainage flow may exist throughout the diurnal cycle.

Clean recycle and utilization of hazardous iron-bearing waste in iron ore sintering process.

PubMed

Gan, Min; Ji, Zhiyun; Fan, Xiaohui; Chen, Xuling; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Guojing; Tian, Ye; Jiang, Tao

2018-04-18

Applying recycled iron-bearing waste materials (RIM) into iron ore sintering process is the general disposal approach worldwide, while its use is still a thorny problem. Results showed that adding RIM increased contents of hazardous elements (K, Na, Pb, Zn, and Cl) in sinter product, and also enhanced emission concentration of PM 2.5 in flue gas; increasing reaction temperature, and contents of CaO & coke breeze in raw mixtures improved hazardous elements removal. Based on these features, a novel method through granulating natural iron ores and RIM separately and distributing granulated RIM in bottom sintering layers was proposed for clean RIM cycle. When recycling 5% RIM, granulating RIM separately with higher contents of CaO and coke breeze removed hazardous elements effectively, the contents of which in sinter were reduced to comparable level of the case without RIM. Moreover, distributing RIM in bottom sintering layer reached intensive release of hazardous elements and PM 2.5 during sintering, which reduced the flue gas volume needing purification by about 2/3. Through activated carbon purification, about 60% of PM 2.5 comprised high contents of hazardous elements was removed. Novel technique eliminated the negative impact of RIM and has the prospect to reach clean recycle in sinter-making plants. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Infant Brain Tumors: Incidence, Survival, and the Role of Radiation Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bishop, Andrew J.; McDonald, Mark W., E-mail: mwmcdona@iupui.edu; Indiana University Health Proton Therapy Center, Bloomington, IN

2012-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of infant brain tumors and survival outcomes by disease and treatment variables. Methods and Materials: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program November 2008 submission database provided age-adjusted incidence rates and individual case information for primary brain tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2006 in infants less than 12 months of age. Results: Between 1973 and 1986, the incidence of infant brain tumors increased from 16 to 40 cases per million (CPM), and from 1986 to 2006, the annual incidence rate averaged 35 CPM. Leading histologies by annual incidence in CPM were gliomas (13.8), medulloblastomamore » and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (6.6), and ependymomas (3.6). The annual incidence was higher in whites than in blacks (35.0 vs. 21.3 CPM). Infants with low-grade gliomas had the highest observed survival, and those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) or primary rhabdoid tumors of the brain had the lowest. Between 1979 and 1993, the annual rate of cases treated with radiation within the first 4 months from diagnosis declined from 20.5 CPM to <2 CPM. For infants with medulloblastoma, desmoplastic histology and treatment with both surgery and upfront radiation were associated with improved survival, but on multivariate regression, only combined surgery and radiation remained associated with improved survival, with a hazard ratio for death of 0.17 compared with surgery alone (p = 0.005). For ATRTs, those treated with surgery and upfront radiation had a 12-month survival of 100% compared with 24.4% for those treated with surgery alone (p = 0.016). For ependymomas survival was higher in patients treated in more recent decades (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of infant brain tumors has been stable since 1986. Survival outcomes varied markedly by histology. For infants with medulloblastoma and ATRTs, improved survival was observed in patients treated with both surgery and early radiation compared with those treated with surgery alone.« less

Prostate Cancer Prognostic Factors Among Asian Patients Born in the US Compared to Those Born Abroad.

PubMed

Xu, Junjun; Goodman, Michael; Jemal, Ahemdin; Fedewa, Stacey A

2015-06-01

US surveillance data indicate that incidence of prostate cancer differs by place of birth among Asian men. However, it is less clear if the prognostic factors for prostate cancer also differ by place of birth. The study included 7,824 Asian prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 and reported to the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relation of place of birth (foreign born vs. US born) to three outcomes: prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason score, and T classification, adjusting for age, marital status, Rural-Urban Continuum Code, and SEER registry. All outcome variables were binary using different cutoffs: ≥ 4, ≥ 10 and ≥ 20 ng/ml for PSA; ≥ 7 and ≥ 8 for Gleason score; and ≥ T2 and ≥ T3 for T classification. Elevated PSA was more common among foreign born Asian men regardless of the cut point used. In the analysis comparing foreign born versus US born patients by ethnic group, the association with PSA was most pronounced at cut point of ≥ 20 ng/ml for Chinese men (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.02-2.75), and at cut point of ≥ 4 ng/ml for Japanese men (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.20-6.21). A statistically significant association with Gleason score was only found for Japanese men and only for the cutoff ≥ 7 (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.12-2.61). There was no difference in clinical T classification between foreign-born and US-born Asian men. Inclusion of cases with missing place of birth or restriction of data to those who underwent radical prostatectomy did not substantially change the results. The data suggest that foreign-born Asian prostate cancer patients may have moderately elevated PSA levels at diagnosis compared with their US born counterparts. For the other prognostic markers, the associations were less consistent and did not form a discernible pattern.

Building a model for disease classification integration in oncology, an approach based on the national cancer institute thesaurus.

PubMed

Jouhet, Vianney; Mougin, Fleur; Bréchat, Bérénice; Thiessard, Frantz

2017-02-07

Identifying incident cancer cases within a population remains essential for scientific research in oncology. Data produced within electronic health records can be useful for this purpose. Due to the multiplicity of providers, heterogeneous terminologies such as ICD-10 and ICD-O-3 are used for oncology diagnosis recording purpose. To enable disease identification based on these diagnoses, there is a need for integrating disease classifications in oncology. Our aim was to build a model integrating concepts involved in two disease classifications, namely ICD-10 (diagnosis) and ICD-O-3 (topography and morphology), despite their structural heterogeneity. Based on the NCIt, a "derivative" model for linking diagnosis and topography-morphology combinations was defined and built. ICD-O-3 and ICD-10 codes were then used to instantiate classes of the "derivative" model. Links between terminologies obtained through the model were then compared to mappings provided by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. The model integrated 42% of neoplasm ICD-10 codes (excluding metastasis), 98% of ICD-O-3 morphology codes (excluding metastasis) and 68% of ICD-O-3 topography codes. For every codes instantiating at least a class in the "derivative" model, comparison with SEER mappings reveals that all mappings were actually available in the model as a link between the corresponding codes. We have proposed a method to automatically build a model for integrating ICD-10 and ICD-O-3 based on the NCIt. The resulting "derivative" model is a machine understandable resource that enables an integrated view of these heterogeneous terminologies. The NCIt structure and the available relationships can help to bridge disease classifications taking into account their structural and granular heterogeneities. However, (i) inconsistencies exist within the NCIt leading to misclassifications in the "derivative" model, (ii) the "derivative" model only integrates a part of ICD-10 and ICD-O-3. The NCIt is not sufficient for integration purpose and further work based on other termino-ontological resources is needed in order to enrich the model and avoid identified inconsistencies.

Deriving the Cost of Software Maintenance for Software Intensive Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-29

more of software maintenance). Figure 4. SEER-SEM Maintenance Effort by Year Report (Reifer, Allen, Fersch, Hitchings, Judy , & Rosa, 2010...understand the linear relationship between two variables. The formula for the simple Pearson product-moment correlation is represented in Equation 5...standardization is required across the software maintenance community in order to ensure that the data being recorded can be employed beyond the agency or

DOE ZERH Case Study: Carl Franklin Homes, L.C./Green Extreme Homes, CDC, McKinley Project, Garland TX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning affordable home in the hot-humid climate that got a HERS 56 without PV or HERS 26 with PV, with 4.5” SIP walls and 8.5” SIP roof; uninsulated slab; ductless minisplit heat pump 15.5 SEER, and tankless hot water.

Increased incidence of myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia following breast cancer treatment with radiation alone or combined with chemotherapy: a registry cohort analysis 1990-2005.

PubMed

Kaplan, Henry G; Malmgren, Judith A; Atwood, Mary K

2011-06-21

Our objective was to measure myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) risk associated with radiation and/or chemotherapy breast cancer (BC) treatment. Our study cohort was composed of BC patients diagnosed from 1990 to 2005 and followed up for blood disorders, mean length of follow up = 7.17 years, range 2-18 years. 5790 TNM stage 0-III patients treated with surgery alone, radiation and/or chemotherapy were included. Patients without surgery (n = 111), with stem cell transplantation (n = 98), unknown or non-standard chemotherapy regimens (n = 94), lost to follow up (n = 66) or 'cancer status unknown' (n = 67) were excluded. Rates observed at our community based cancer care institution were compared to SEER incidence data for rate ratio (RR) calculations. 17 cases of MDS/AML (10 MDS/7 AML) occurred during the follow up period, crude rate .29% (95% CI = .17, .47), SEER comparison RR = 3.94 (95% CI = 2.34, 6.15). The RR of MDS in patients age < 65 comparing our cohort incidence to SEER incidence data was 10.88 (95% CI = 3.84, 24.03) and the RR of AML in patients age < 65 was 5.32 (95% CI = 1.31, 14.04). No significant increased risk of MDS or AML was observed in women ≥ 65 or the surgery/chemotherapy-only group. A RR of 3.32 (95% CI = 1.42, 6.45) was observed in the surgery/radiation-only group and a RR of 6.32 (95% CI = 3.03, 11.45) in the surgery/radiation/chemotherapy group. 3 out of 10 MDS cases died of disease at an average 3.8 months post diagnosis and five of seven AML cases died at an average 9 months post diagnosis. An elevated rate of MDS and AML was observed among breast cancer patients < 65, those treated with radiation and those treated with radiation and chemotherapy compared to available population incidence data. Although a small number of patients are affected, leukemia risk associated with treatment and younger age is significant.

Geostationary Communications Satellites as Sensors for the Space Weather Environment: Telemetry Event Identification Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlton, A.; Cahoy, K.

2015-12-01

Reliability of geostationary communication satellites (GEO ComSats) is critical to many industries worldwide. The space radiation environment poses a significant threat and manufacturers and operators expend considerable effort to maintain reliability for users. Knowledge of the space radiation environment at the orbital location of a satellite is of critical importance for diagnosing and resolving issues resulting from space weather, for optimizing cost and reliability, and for space situational awareness. For decades, operators and manufacturers have collected large amounts of telemetry from geostationary (GEO) communications satellites to monitor system health and performance, yet this data is rarely mined for scientific purposes. The goal of this work is to acquire and analyze archived data from commercial operators using new algorithms that can detect when a space weather (or non-space weather) event of interest has occurred or is in progress. We have developed algorithms, collectively called SEER (System Event Evaluation Routine), to statistically analyze power amplifier current and temperature telemetry by identifying deviations from nominal operations or other events and trends of interest. This paper focuses on our work in progress, which currently includes methods for detection of jumps ("spikes", outliers) and step changes (changes in the local mean) in the telemetry. We then examine available space weather data from the NOAA GOES and the NOAA-computed Kp index and sunspot numbers to see what role, if any, it might have played. By combining the results of the algorithm for many components, the spacecraft can be used as a "sensor" for the space radiation environment. Similar events occurring at one time across many component telemetry streams may be indicative of a space radiation event or system-wide health and safety concern. Using SEER on representative datasets of telemetry from Inmarsat and Intelsat, we find events that occur across all or many of telemetry files at certain dates. We compare these system-wide events to known space weather storms, such as the 2003 Halloween storms, and to spacecraft operational events, such as maneuvers. We also present future applications and expansions of SEER for robust space environment sensing and system health and safety monitoring.

US incidence of breast cancer subtypes defined by joint hormone receptor and HER2 status.

PubMed

Howlader, Nadia; Altekruse, Sean F; Li, Christopher I; Chen, Vivien W; Clarke, Christina A; Ries, Lynn A G; Cronin, Kathleen A

2014-04-28

In 2010, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries began collecting human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) receptor status for breast cancer cases. Breast cancer subtypes defined by joint hormone receptor (HR; estrogen receptor [ER] and progesterone receptor [PR]) and HER2 status were assessed across the 28% of the US population that is covered by SEER registries. Age-specific incidence rates by subtype were calculated for non-Hispanic (NH) white, NH black, NH Asian Pacific Islander (API), and Hispanic women. Joint HR/HER2 status distributions by age, race/ethnicity, county-level poverty, registry, stage, Bloom-Richardson grade, tumor size, and nodal status were evaluated using multivariable adjusted polytomous logistic regression. All statistical tests were two-sided. Among case patients with known HR/HER2 status, 36810 (72.7%) were found to be HR(+)/HER2(-), 6193 (12.2%) were triple-negative (HR(-)/HER2(-)), 5240 (10.3%) were HR(+)/HER2(+), and 2328 (4.6%) were HR(-)/HER2(+); 6912 (12%) had unknown HR/HER2 status. NH white women had the highest incidence rate of the HR(+)/HER2(-) subtype, and NH black women had the highest rate of the triple-negative subtype. Compared with women with the HR(+)/HER2(-) subtype, triple-negative patients were more likely to be NH black and Hispanic; HR(+)/HER2(+) patients were more likely to be NH API; and HR(-)/HER2(+) patients were more likely to be NH black, NH API, and Hispanic. Patients with triple-negative, HR(+)/HER2(+), and HR(-)/HER2(+) breast cancer were 10% to 30% less likely to be diagnosed at older ages compared with HR(+)/HER2(-) patients and 6.4-fold to 20.0-fold more likely to present with high-grade disease. In the future, SEER data can be used to monitor clinical outcomes in women diagnosed with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer for a large portion (approximately 28%) of the US population. Published by Oxford University Press 2014.

Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure and the Incidence of Oral, Pharyngeal and Cervical Cancer and Melanoma: An Analysis of the SEER Data.

PubMed

Adams, Spencer; Lin, Jie; Brown, Derek; Shriver, Craig D; Zhu, Kangmin

2016-01-01

Based on the hypothesis that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure can cause DNA damage that may activate dormant viruses such as human papilloma virus, a recent ecological study, which estimated state-level UVR exposure, reported positive correlations between annual UVR exposure and the incidence of oral, pharyngeal, and cervical cancer in 16 U.S. states using the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) data. The purpose of the current study was to further investigate whether the annual UVR level, estimated on a county level, is associated with incidence rates of such cancers using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 data. If UVR exposure is associated with incidence of these cancer types, we would expect to see a similar or stronger association with melanoma because UVR exposure is a well-demonstrated risk factor for this disease. Thus, we also included melanoma in the study. The study subjects were White and Black individuals with oral, pharyngeal, cervical cancer or melanoma diagnosed between 1973 and 2011 from the SEER 18 data. UVR was estimated at the county level and grouped into high-, medium- and low-exposure levels. Age-adjusted incidence rates of cancer were calculated and compared among the UVR exposure groups. The comparisons were also stratified by sex and race. There was an inverse association between UVR exposure and incidence of oral, pharyngeal, and cervical cancer. The inverse association was also observed for melanoma. When stratified by race and sex, the inverse associations remained except for melanoma among Blacks. In contrast to a previous study, our study found that there were inverse associations between UVR exposure and the incidence of oral, pharyngeal, and cervical cancer, as well as of melanoma. Our findings are in agreement with several other published studies reporting no positive correlation between UVR exposure and the incidence rates of oral, pharyngeal, and cervical cancer and melanoma. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Characterizing inflammatory breast cancer among Arab Americans in the California, Detroit and New Jersey Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries (1988-2008).

PubMed

Hirko, Kelly A; Soliman, Amr S; Banerjee, Mousumi; Ruterbusch, Julie; Harford, Joe B; Chamberlain, Robert M; Graff, John J; Merajver, Sofia D; Schwartz, Kendra

2013-12-01

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by an apparent geographical distribution in incidence, being more common in North Africa than other parts of the world. Despite the rapid growth of immigrants to the United States from Arab nations, little is known about disease patterns among Arab Americans because a racial category is rarely considered for this group. The aim of this study was to advance our understanding of the burden of IBC in Arab ethnic populations by describing the proportion of IBC among different racial groups, including Arab Americans from the Detroit, New Jersey and California Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries. We utilized a validated Arab surname algorithm to identify women of Arab descent from the SEER registries. Differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancer and IBC characteristics by race and menopausal status were evaluated using chi-square tests for categorical variables, t-tests and ANOVA tests for continuous variables, and log-rank tests for survival data. We modeled the association between race and IBC among all women with breast cancer using hierarchical logistic regression models, adjusting for individual and census tract-level variables. Statistically significant differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancers by race were evident. In a hierarchical model, adjusting for age, estrogen and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth receptor 2, registry and census-tract level education, Arab-Americans (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.2,1.9), Hispanics (OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.1,1.3), Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.2, 1.4), and American Indians/Alaskans (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.1, 3.4) had increased odds of IBC, while Asians (OR=0.6, 95% CI=0.6, 0.7) had decreased odds of IBC as compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. IBC may be more common among certain minority groups, including Arab American women. Understanding the descriptive epidemiology of IBC by race may generate hypotheses about risk factors for this aggressive disease. Future research should focus on etiologic factors that may explain these differences.

Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcomas in Children: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Analysis Validating COG Risk Stratifications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waxweiler, Timothy V., E-mail: timothy.waxweiler@ucdenver.edu; Rusthoven, Chad G.; Proper, Michelle S.

Purpose: Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) are a heterogeneous group of sarcomas that encompass over 35 histologies. With an incidence of ∼500 cases per year in the United States in those <20 years of age, NRSTS are rare and therefore difficult to study in pediatric populations. We used the large Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to validate the prognostic ability of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) risk classification system and to define patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics. Methods and Materials: From SEER data from 1988 to 2007, we identified patients ≤18 years of age with NRSTS. Data for age, sex,more » year of diagnosis, race, registry, histology, grade, primary size, primary site, stage, radiation therapy, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Patients with nonmetastatic grossly resected low-grade tumors of any size or high-grade tumors ≤5 cm were considered low risk. Cases of nonmetastatic tumors that were high grade, >5 cm, or unresectable were considered intermediate risk. Patients with nodal or distant metastases were considered high risk. Results: A total of 941 patients met the review criteria. On univariate analysis, black race, malignant peripheral nerve sheath (MPNST) histology, tumors >5 cm, nonextremity primary, lymph node involvement, radiation therapy, and higher risk group were associated with significantly worse overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). On multivariate analysis, MPNST histology, chemotherapy-resistant histology, and higher risk group were significantly poor prognostic factors for OS and CSS. Compared to low-risk patients, intermediate patients showed poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 6.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.53-10.47, P<.001) and CSS (HR: 6.27; 95% CI: 3.44-11.43, P<.001), and high-risk patients had the worst OS (HR: 13.35, 95% CI: 8.18-21.76, P<.001) and CSS (HR: 14.65, 95% CI: 8.49-25.28, P<.001). Conclusions: The current COG risk group stratification for children with NRSTS has been validated with a large number of children in the SEER database.« less

Electrically conductive polymer concrete coatings

DOEpatents

Fontana, J.J.; Elling, D.; Reams, W.

1990-03-13

A sprayable electrically conductive polymer concrete coating for vertical d overhead applications is described. The coating is permeable yet has low electrical resistivity (<10 ohm-cm), good bond strength to concrete substrates, and good weatherability. A preferred formulation contains about 60 wt % calcined coke breeze, 40 wt % vinyl ester with 3.5 wt % modified bentonite clay. Such formulations apply evenly and provide enough rigidity for vertical or overhead structures so there is no drip or sag.

Electrically conductive polymer concrete coatings

DOEpatents

Fontana, Jack J.; Elling, David; Reams, Walter

1990-01-01

A sprayable electrically conductive polymer concrete coating for vertical d overhead applications is described. The coating is permeable yet has low electrical resistivity (<10 ohm-cm), good bond strength to concrete substrates, and good weatherability. A preferred formulation contains about 60 wt % calcined coke breeze, 40 wt % vinyl ester with 3.5 wt % modified bentonite clay. Such formulations apply evenly and provide enough rigidity for vertical or overhead structures so there is no drip or sag.

Environmental Assessment Addressing the Emerald Breeze Resort, Santa Rosa Island, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-11

conditions in their upper part. Anaerobic soil conditions are conducive to the establishment of vegetation that is adapted for growth under oxygen...sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil...species adapted to dense commercial development and heavy vehicular traffic would be expected to move back into the area after development of the

The Nature of The Propagation of Sea Breeze Fronts in Central California

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

propagation vector % ith stations in the southern portion of Monterey Bay shows that the front is curved on the mesoscale. 20 Distribution Availabilit of...solar radiation warms the land more than the adjacent water . The resulting temperature contrast produces a slight variation in pressure. The isobaric...surfaces bend upward over the land, producing an upper-level high. The upper-level air flows seaward increasing the surface pressure over the water . The

Aeronautical Knowledge (Selected Articles),

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-11

distribution unlimited. THIS TRANSLATION IS A RENDITION OF THE ORIGI. NAL FOREIGN TEXT WITH4OUT ANY ANALYTICAL ORt EDITORIAL COMMENT. STATEMENTS ORt THEORIES...An operator busily touched a row of milky white switches on a computer . Groups of vermilion number codes incessantly flickered on a light blue display...On a Surface Observation Ship in the Launch Sea Area Blue sky and azure sea with light breeze and small waves were scenes of the launch sea area. In

Shallow to Deep Convection Transition over a Heterogeneous Land Surface Using the Land Model Coupled Large-Eddy Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Zhang, Y.; Klein, S. A.

2017-12-01

The triggering of the land breeze, and hence the development of deep convection over heterogeneous land should be understood as a consequence of the complex processes involving various factors from land surface and atmosphere simultaneously. That is a sub-grid scale process that many large-scale models have difficulty incorporating it into the parameterization scheme partly due to lack of our understanding. Thus, it is imperative that we approach the problem using a high-resolution modeling framework. In this study, we use SAM-SLM (Lee and Khairoutdinov, 2015), a large-eddy simulation model coupled to a land model, to explore the cloud effect such as cold pool, the cloud shading and the soil moisture memory on the land breeze structure and the further development of cloud and precipitation over a heterogeneous land surface. The atmospheric large scale forcing and the initial sounding are taken from the new composite case study of the fair-weather, non-precipitating shallow cumuli at ARM SGP (Zhang et al., 2017). We model the land surface as a chess board pattern with alternating leaf area index (LAI). The patch contrast of the LAI is adjusted to encompass the weak to strong heterogeneity amplitude. The surface sensible- and latent heat fluxes are computed according to the given LAI representing the differential surface heating over a heterogeneous land surface. Separate from the surface forcing imposed from the originally modeled surface, the cases that transition into the moist convection can induce another layer of the surface heterogeneity from the 1) radiation shading by clouds, 2) adjusted soil moisture pattern by the rain, 3) spreading cold pool. First, we assess and quantifies the individual cloud effect on the land breeze and the moist convection under the weak wind to simplify the feedback processes. And then, the same set of experiments is repeated under sheared background wind with low level jet, a typical summer time wind pattern at ARM SGP site, to account for more realistic situations. Our goal is to assist answering the question: "Do the sub-grid scale land surface heterogeneity matter for the weather and climate modeling?" This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS- 736011.

Observed and simulated features of the phases of the sea-breeze in the island of Mallorca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez, Maria A.; Cuxart, Joan; Simó, Gemma; Wrenger, Burkhard; Martinez-Villagrasa, Daniel; Guijarro, Jose A.; Telisman-Prtenjak, Maja; Lopez, Alvaro; Picos, Rodrigo

2016-04-01

In order to better understand the diurnal cycle of the Sea-Breeze (SB) in the island of Mallorca, during September 2013 and June 2014 two experimental field campaigns have been conducted in the Campos basin (at the south side). A total of 6 IOPs (clear skies and weak pressure gradient conditions) are analysed using observations taken close to the coastline (about 900 m inland) that consist on a surface portable station (equipped with a temperature and humidity probe, and one 2-D and 3-D sonic anemometers), a captive balloon (temperature and humidity) and a multicopter (temperature and humidity). Besides, observations from automatic weather stations of the AEMET network are taken as well as satellite-derived surface temperatures that together with the model outputs from high-resolution mesoscale simulations are used to better understand the organization of the flow at lower levels. With the combined inspection of observations and model results it is found that during the previous phase (after sunrise) land-breeze conditions were present and the sensible heat flux turned to positive meanwhile the turbulence started. In the preparatory phase (about 3 hours after sunrise) the wind close to the coast started to veer progressively towards the SB direction. As soon as the SB was initiated (about 5 hours after sunrise), the SB front progressed to the inland direction reaching a mature phase starting at noon. Afterwards, the SB decaying starts and close to sunset the wind speed was close to zero and veered towards the land to sea direction. During the campaign all phases were measured with special emphasis to the morning transition (from LB to SB) and the evening transition (from SB to LB) because of the strong wind shear (turbulence) reported during the mature phase. It is found that for all the different phases the model is able to capture the organization of the flow at lower levels although it experiences some difficulties in reproducing the thermal profile during the preparatory phase, when the model energy budget usually differs a lot from the observed one. Nevertheless, at the end of this phase the model agrees with the observations, showing that the general energetics of the morning transition are well captured.

Rainfall Morphology in Semi-Tropical Convergence Zones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, J. Marshall; Ferrier, Brad S.; Ray, Peter S.

2000-01-01

Central Florida is the ideal test laboratory for studying convergence zone-induced convection. The region regularly experiences sea breeze fronts and rainfall-induced outflow boundaries. The focus of this study is the common yet poorly-studied convergence zone established by the interaction of the sea breeze front and an outflow boundary. Previous studies have investigated mechanisms primarily affecting storm initiation by such convergence zones. Few have focused on rainfall morphology yet these storms contribute a significant amount precipitation to the annual rainfall budget. Low-level convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture have both been shown to correlate with rainfall amounts in Florida. Using 2D and 3D numerical simulations, the roles of low-level convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture in rainfall evolution are examined. The results indicate that time-averaged, vertical moisture flux (VMF) at the sea breeze front/outflow convergence zone is directly and linearly proportional to initial condensation rates. This proportionality establishes a similar relationship between VMF and initial rainfall. Vertical moisture flux, which encompasses depth and magnitude of convergence, is better correlated to initial rainfall production than surface moisture convergence. This extends early observational studies which linked rainfall in Florida to surface moisture convergence. The amount and distribution of mid-tropospheric moisture determines how rainfall associated with secondary cells develop. Rainfall amount and efficiency varied significantly over an observable range of relative humidities in the 850- 500 mb layer even though rainfall evolution was similar during the initial or "first-cell" period. Rainfall variability was attributed to drier mid-tropospheric environments inhibiting secondary cell development through entrainment effects. Observationally, 850-500 mb moisture structure exhibits wider variability than lower level moisture, which is virtually always present in Florida. A likely consequence of the variability in 850-500 moisture is a stronger statistical correlation to rainfall, which observational studies have noted. The study indicates that vertical moisture flux forcing at convergence zones is critical in determining rainfall in the initial stage of development but plays a decreasing role in rainfall evolution as the system matures. The mid-tropospheric moisture (e.g. environment) plays an increasing role in rainfall evolution as the system matures. This suggests the need to improve measurements of magnitude/depth of convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture distribution. It also highlights the need for better parameterization of entrainment and vertical moisture distribution in larger-scale models.

Aerosol-cloud interactions in mixed-phase convective clouds - Part 1: Aerosol perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miltenberger, Annette K.; Field, Paul R.; Hill, Adrian A.; Rosenberg, Phil; Shipway, Ben J.; Wilkinson, Jonathan M.; Scovell, Robert; Blyth, Alan M.

2018-03-01

Changes induced by perturbed aerosol conditions in moderately deep mixed-phase convective clouds (cloud top height ˜ 5 km) developing along sea-breeze convergence lines are investigated with high-resolution numerical model simulations. The simulations utilise the newly developed Cloud-AeroSol Interacting Microphysics (CASIM) module for the Unified Model (UM), which allows for the representation of the two-way interaction between cloud and aerosol fields. Simulations are evaluated against observations collected during the COnvective Precipitation Experiment (COPE) field campaign over the southwestern peninsula of the UK in 2013. The simulations compare favourably with observed thermodynamic profiles, cloud base cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC), cloud depth, and radar reflectivity statistics. Including the modification of aerosol fields by cloud microphysical processes improves the correspondence with observed CDNC values and spatial variability, but reduces the agreement with observations for average cloud size and cloud top height. Accumulated precipitation is suppressed for higher-aerosol conditions before clouds become organised along the sea-breeze convergence lines. Changes in precipitation are smaller in simulations with aerosol processing. The precipitation suppression is due to less efficient precipitation production by warm-phase microphysics, consistent with parcel model predictions. In contrast, after convective cells organise along the sea-breeze convergence zone, accumulated precipitation increases with aerosol concentrations. Condensate production increases with the aerosol concentrations due to higher vertical velocities in the convective cores and higher cloud top heights. However, for the highest-aerosol scenarios, no further increase in the condensate production occurs, as clouds grow into an upper-level stable layer. In these cases, the reduced precipitation efficiency (PE) dominates the precipitation response and no further precipitation enhancement occurs. Previous studies of deep convective clouds have related larger vertical velocities under high-aerosol conditions to enhanced latent heating from freezing. In the presented simulations changes in latent heating above the 0°C are negligible, but latent heating from condensation increases with aerosol concentrations. It is hypothesised that this increase is related to changes in the cloud field structure reducing the mixing of environmental air into the convective core. The precipitation response of the deeper mixed-phase clouds along well-established convergence lines can be the opposite of predictions from parcel models. This occurs when clouds interact with a pre-existing thermodynamic environment and cloud field structural changes occur that are not captured by simple parcel model approaches.

DOE ZERH Case Study: Heirloom Design Build, Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, GA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2015-09-01

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning custom home in the mixed-humid climate that got a HERS 50 without PV, with 2x6 16” on center walls with R-19 ocsf; basement with R-28 ccsf, R-5 rigid foam under slab; sealed attic with R-28 ocsf under roof deck; 22.8 SEER; 12.5 HSPF heat pump.

Electrically conductive polymer concrete coatings

DOEpatents

Fontana, J.J.; Elling, D.; Reams, W.

1988-05-26

A sprayable electrically conductive polymer concrete coating for vertical and overhead applications is described. The coating is permeable yet has low electrical resistivity (<10 ohm-cm), good bond strength to concrete substrates, and good weatherability. A preferred formulation contains about 60 wt% calcined coke breeze, 40 wt% vinyl ester resin with 3.5 wt% modified bentonite clay. Such formulations apply evenly and provide enough rigidity for vertical or overhead structures so there is no drip or sag. 4 tabs.

Florida, Bahamas, Cuba and Gulf Stream, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-08-08

This unique photo offers a view of the Florida peninsula, western Bahamas, north central Cuba and the deep blue waters of the Gulf Stream, that hugs the east coast of Florida (27.0N, 82.0W). In addition to being an excellent photograph for showing the geographical relationships between the variety of landforms in this scene, the typical effect of the land-sea breeze is very much in evidence as few clouds over water, cumulus build up over landmass.

Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Effects on Depressive Cognitions and Brain Function

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

differentiates deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1999;56:1117-1123. 58. Dougherty DD, Bonab AA, Spencer TJ, Rauch SL, Madras...Koneru VK, Garroway J, Stein N, Rauch SL, Herbert MR, Dietrich ME, Melrose R, Grant PE, Sohma M, Klaviness S, Cohen BM, Seidman LJ, Caviness V, Biederman...2005;57(9):1011-9. 116. Frazier JA, Breeze JL, Makris N, Giuliano AS, Herbert MR, Seidman L, Biederman J, Hodge SM, Dieterich ME, Gerstein E

Diurnal Sea Breeze Effects on Nearshore Temperature Variability in Southern Monterey Bay

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

from multi-year, single-location measurements of the velocity profiles (Fewings et al. 2008; Lentz et al. 2008; Hendrickson and MacMahan 2009) to...shorter O(0-2 months) experiments with multi-location moorings (Hally- Rosendahl et al. 2015; Reniers et al. 2009). Direct approaches for accounting for...zone (~5m). Two cross-shore arrays were deployed to account for the spatial heterogeneity of cross- shore flows associated with rip currents on the

The Relationship Between Sea Breeze Forcing and HF Radar-Derived Surface Currents in Monterey Bay

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

the ocean wave backscattering the radar signal is one half the radar’s wavelength (Neal 1992). This process is called Bragg scattering (Barrick 1977...transmit frequency of radar is important because it helps us to figure out the length of the ocean waves and backscattered radar wavelength (Harlan et al...Representation of some remote sensing methods exploiting signals backscattered from the sea surface (from Shearman 1981). 7 HF radars have many advantages

Optical and Radio Frequency Refractivity Fluctuations from High Resolution Point Sensors: Sea Breezes and Other Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

velocity and direction along with vertical velocities are derived from the measured time of flight for the ultrasonic signals (manufacture’s...data set. To prevent aliasing a wave must be sample at least twice per period so the Nyquist frequency is sn ff 2 = . 3. Sampling Requirements...an order of magnitude or more. To refine models or conduct climatologically studies for Cn2 requires direct measurements to identify the underlying

Age distribution and age-related outcomes of olfactory neuroblastoma: a population-based analysis.

PubMed

Yin, Zhenzhen; Wang, Youyou; Wu, Yuemei; Zhang, Ximei; Wang, Fengming; Wang, Peiguo; Tao, Zhen; Yuan, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

The objective of the study was to describe the age distribution and to evaluate the role of prognostic value of age on survival in patients diagnosed with olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB). A population-based retrospective analysis was conducted. The population-based study of patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumor registry, who were diagnosed with ONB from 1973 to 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort included 876 patients with a median age of 54 years. There was a unimodal distribution of age and ONBs most frequently occurred in the fifth to sixth decades of life. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of 69% and 78% at 5 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age, SEER stage, and surgery were independent prognostic factors for CSS. The risk of overall death and cancer-specific death increased 3.1% and 1.6% per year, respectively. Patients aged >60 years presented significantly poor OS and CSS compared with patients aged ≤60 years, even in patients with loco-regional disease or in those treated with surgery. This study highlights the growing evidence that there is a unimodal age distribution of ONB and that age is an important adverse prognostic factor.

Improved survival among older acute myeloid leukemia patients - a population-based study.

PubMed

Shah, Binay Kumar; Ghimire, Krishna Bilas

2014-07-01

Survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has improved in younger patients over the last decade. This study was conducted to evaluate the relative survival rates in older AML patients over two decades in the US. We analyzed Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry database to evaluate relative survival rate in older (≥ 75 years) AML population diagnosed during 1992-2009. We selected AML patients from 13 registries of SEER 18 database to compare RS during 1992-2000 and 2001-2009. The relative survival rates improved significantly during 2001-2009 compared to 1992-2000 for all age groups and sex. For young elderly patients (75-84 years) RS increased from 13.1 ± 0.8% to 17.4 ± 0.9% at one year Z-value = 3.98, p < 0.0001 and from 2.0 ± 0.4 to 2.6 ± 0.5%, Z-value = 3.61, p < 0.0005 at five years. Similarly, for very elderly (≥ 85 years) patients RS increased from 5.3 ± 1.0% to 8.0 ± 1.0%, Z-value = 3.03, p < 0.005 at one year, but no improvement seen at five years. The relative survival in elderly AML has increased significantly during 2001-2009 compared to 1992-2000.

Primary tumor resection in metastatic breast cancer: A propensity-matched analysis, 1988-2011 SEER data base.

PubMed

Vohra, Nasreen A; Brinkley, Jason; Kachare, Swapnil; Muzaffar, Mahvish

2018-03-02

Primary tumor resection (PTR) in metastatic breast cancer is not a standard treatment modality, and its impact on survival is conflicting. The primary objective of this study was to analyze impact of PTR on survival in metastatic patients with breast cancer. A retrospective study of metastatic patients with breast cancer was conducted using the 1988-2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data base. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between PTR and survival and to adjust for the heterogeneity between the groups, and a propensity score-matched analysis was also performed. A total of 29 916 patients with metastatic breast cancer were included in the study, and 15 129 (51%) of patients underwent primary tumor resection, and 14 787 (49%) patients did not undergo surgery. Overall, decreasing trend in PTR for metastatic breast cancer in last decades was noted. Primary tumor resection was associated with a longer median OS (34 vs 18 months). In a propensity score-matched analysis, prognosis was also more favorable in the resected group (P = .0017). Primary tumor resection in metastatic breast cancer was associated with survival improvement, and the improvement persisted in propensity-matched analysis. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hormone receptor status of contralateral breast cancers: analysis of data from the US SEER population-based registries.

PubMed

Mezencev, Roman; Švajdler, Marián

2017-05-01

Women diagnosed with breast cancer display higher propensity to develop second primary cancer in the contralateral breast (CBC). Identification of patients with increased risk of CBC and understanding relationships between hormone receptor (HR) statuses of the first and second breast cancers is desirable for endocrine-based prevention strategies. Using 1992-2012 data from 13 SEER registries, the risk of developing CBC was determined as ratio of observed and expected second breast cancers (SIR). Association between HR statuses was examined by exploratory data analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Women with ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancers have increased risk of developing CBC with SIR values 2.09 (CI 95 = 1.97-2.21) and 2.40 (CI 95 = 2.18-2.63), respectively. ER statuses of the CBC are moderately positively associated. In metachronous CBC, most cases with ER-positive first cancers had ER-positive second breast cancers (81.6 %; CI 95 = 80.2-82.9 %); however, considerable proportion of cases with ER-negative first cancers had ER-positive second cancers (48.8 %; CI 95 = 46.2-51.4 %). Some women with ER-negative breast cancers may benefit from endocrine-based prevention of ER-positive CBC.

Model study of meteorology and photochemical air pollution over un urban area in south-eastern France (ESCOMPTE campaign).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taghavi, M.; Cautenet, S.

2003-04-01

The ESCOMPTE Campaign has been conducted over Southern France (Provence region including the Marseille, Aix and Toulon cities and the Fos-Berre industrial center) in June and July of 2001. In order to study the redistribution of the pollutants emitted by anthropic and biogenic emissions and their impact on the atmospheric chemistry, we used meso-scale modeling (RAMS model, paralleled version 4.3, coupled on line with chemical modules : MOCA2.2 (Poulet et al, 2002) including 29 gaseous species). The hourly high resolution emissions were obtained from ESCOMPTE database (Ponche et al, 2002). The model was coupled with the dry deposition scheme (Walmsley and Weseley,1996). In this particular case of complex circulation (sea breeze associated with topography), the processes involving peaks of pollution were strongly non linear, and the meso scale modeling coupled on line with chemistry module was an essential step for a realistic redistribution of chemical species. Two nested grids satisfactorily describe the synoptic dynamics and the sea breeze circulations. The ECMWF meteorological fields provide the initial and boundary conditions. Different events characterized by various meteorological situations were simulated. Meteorological fields retrieved by modeling, also Modeled ozone, NOx, CO and SO2 concentrations, were compared with balloons, lidars, aircrafts and surface stations measurements. The chemistry regimes were explained according to the distribution of plumes. The stratified layers were examined.

Spatial and temporal variability of PM levels and composition in a complex summer atmospheric scenario in Barcelona (NE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viana, M.; Pérez, C.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Nickovic, S.; Baldasano, J. M.

Summer atmospheric coastal dynamics exert a significant influence on the levels and composition of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in the North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Summer atmospheric scenarios in this region present a high degree of complexity as they are characterised by the absence of synoptic-scale air mass advections, the development of breeze circulations, enhanced photochemistry, local mineral dust re-suspension and the occurrence of African dust outbreaks. Three sampling sites were selected in Barcelona (NE Spain), an urban coastal site surrounded by complex topography. Regional dust modelling (DREAM) and high resolution meteorological modelling (MM5) were used to interpret PM levels and composition at the three sites. The results outline the effect of breeze dynamics and thermal internal boundary layer formation as the main meteorological drivers of the hourly evolution of PM levels. Levels of crustal components, secondary inorganic and carbon species are higher during the night, and only the marine aerosol content is higher during the day. Nitrate levels are higher during the night due to the thermal stability on NH 4NO 3. Sulphate levels are higher during the night as a consequence of the drainage flows. Lidar measurements and model results signalled the occurrence of two African dust episodes during the study period which mainly affected the free troposphere over Barcelona.

Relation between aerosol sources and meteorological parameters for inhalable atmospheric particles in Sao Paulo City, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrade, Fatima; Orsini, Celso; Maenhaut, Willy

Stacked filter units were used to collect atmospheric particles in separate coarse and fine fractions at the Sao Paulo University Campus during the winter of 1989. The samples were analysed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and the data were subjected to an absolute principal component analysis (APCA). Five sources were identified for the fine particles: industrial emissions, which accounted for 13% of the fine mass; emissions from residual oil and diesel, explaining 41%; resuspended soil dust, with 28%; and emissions of Cu and of Mg, together with 18%. For the coarse particles, four sources were identified: soil dust, accounting for 59% of the coarse mass; industrial emissions, with 19%; oil burning, with 8%; and sea salt aerosol, with 14% of the coarse mass. A data set with various meteorological parameters was also subjected to APCA, and a correlation analysis was performed between the meteorological "absolute principal component scores" (APCS) and the APCS from the fine and coarse particle data sets. The soil dust sources for the fine and coarse aerosol were highly correlated with each other and were anticorrelated with the sea breeze component. The industrial components in the fine and coarse size fractions were also highly positively correlated. Furthermore, the industrial component was related with the northeasterly wind direction and, to a lesser extent, with the sea breeze component.

Modelling study of sea breezes in a complex coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, X.-M.; Steyn, D. G.

This study investigates a mesoscale modelling of sea breezes blowing from a narrow strait into the lower Fraser valley (LFV), British Columbia, Canada, during the period of 17-20 July, 1985. Without a nudging scheme in the inner grid, the CSU-RAMS model produces satisfactory wind and temperature fields during the daytime. In comparison with observation, the agreement indices for surface wind and temperature during daytime reach about 0.6 and 0.95, respectively, while the agreement indices drop to 0.4 at night. In the vertical, profiles of modelled wind and temperature generally agree with tethersonde data collected on 17 and 19 July. The study demonstrates that in late afternoon, the model does not capture the advection of an elevated warm layer which originated from land surfaces outside of the inner grid. Mixed layer depth (MLD) is calculated from model output of turbulent kinetic energy field. Comparison of MLD results with observation shows that the method generates a reliable MLD during the daytime, and that accurate estimates of MLD near the coast require the correct simulation of wind conditions over the sea. The study has shown that for a complex coast environment like the LFV, a reliable modelling study depends not only on local surface fluxes but also on elevated layers transported from remote land surfaces. This dependence is especially important when local forcings are weak, for example, during late afternoon and at night.

First Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Timing Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huddleston, Lisa L.

2013-01-01

NASA's LSP, GSDO and other programs use the probability of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence issued by the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) in their daily and weekly lightning probability forecasts. These organizations use this information when planning potentially hazardous outdoor activities, such as working with fuels, or rolling a vehicle to a launch pad, or whenever personnel will work outside and would be at-risk from lightning. These organizations would benefit greatly if the 45 WS could provide more accurate timing of the first CG lightning strike of the day. The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) has made significant improvements in forecasting the probability of lightning for the day, but forecasting the time of the first CG lightning with confidence has remained a challenge. To address this issue, the 45 WS requested the AMU to determine if flow regimes, wind speed categories, or a combination of the two could be used to forecast the timing of the first strike of the day in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) lightning warning circles. The data was stratified by various sea breeze flow regimes and speed categories in the surface to 5,000-ft layer. The surface to 5,000-ft layer was selected since that is the layer the 45 WS uses to predict the behavior of sea breeze fronts, which are the dominant influence on the occurrence of first lightning in Florida during the warm season. Due to small data sample sizes after stratification, the AMU could not determine a statistical relationship between flow regimes or speed categories and the time of the first CG strike.. As expected, although the amount and timing of lightning activity varies by time of day based on the flow regimes and speed categories, there are extended tails of low lightning activity making it difficult to specify times when the threat of the first lightning flash can be avoided. However, the AMU developed a graphical user interface with input from the 45 WS that allows forecasters to visualize the climatological frequencies of the timing of the first lightning strike. This tool should contribute directly to the 45 WS goal of improving lightning timing capability for its NASA, US Air Force and commercial customers.

Excess mortality among 10-year survivors of classical Hodgkin lymphoma in adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Xavier, Ana C; Epperla, Narendranath; Taub, Jeffrey W; Costa, Luciano J

2018-02-01

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) surviving classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) risk long term fatal treatment-related toxicities. We utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program to compare excess mortality rate (EMR-observed minus expected mortality) for 10-year survivors of AYA cHL diagnosed in 1973-1992 and 1993-2003 eras. The 15-year EMR reduced from 4.88% to 2.19% while the 20-year EMR reduced from 9.46% to 4.07% between eras. Survivors of stages 1-2 had lower EMR than survivors of stages 3-4 cHL in the 1993-2003 but not in the 1973-1992 era. There was an overall decline in risk of death between 10 and 15 years from diagnosis, driven mostly by second neoplasms and cardiovascular mortality. Despite reduction in fatal second neoplasms and cardiovascular disease with more current therapy, long term survivors of AYA cHL still have a higher risk of death than the general population highlighting the need for safer therapies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AN AGE-PERIOD-COHORT ANALYSIS OF CANCER INCIDENCE AMONG THE OLDEST OLD

PubMed Central

Hanson, Heidi A.; Smith, Ken R.; Stroup, Antoinette M.; Harrell, C. Janna

2014-01-01

Separating and understanding the effects of age, period, and cohort on major health conditions in the population over eighty-five, the oldest-old, will lead to better population projections of morbidity and mortality. We used age-period-cohort (APC) analyses to describe the simultaneous effects of age, period and cohort on cancer incidence rates in an attempt to understand the population dynamics underlying their patterns. Data from the Utah Cancer Registry (UCR), the US Census, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillence Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program were used to generate age-specific estimates of cancer incidence for ages 65–99 from 1973–2002 for Utah. Our results showed increasing cancer incidence rates up to the 85–89 age group followed by declines for ages 90–99 when not confounded by the distinct influence of period and cohort effects. We found significant period and cohort effects, suggesting the role of environmental mechanisms in cancer incidence trends between the ages of 85 and 100. PMID:25396304

A Comparison of Modeled and Observed Ocean Mixed Layer Behavior in a Sea Breeze Influenced Coastal Region

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-21

Latent(Lower Solid), Net Infrared (Dashed), and Net viii Heat Loss (Upper Solid - the Other 3 Surmmed) are Plotted, with Positive Values :ndicating...gained from solar insolation, Qs, and the heat lost from the surface due to latent, Qe, sensible, Qh, and net infrared radiation, Qb is positive...five empirically derived dimensionless constants in the model. With the introduction of two new unknowns, <E> and < ww2 >, the prediction of the upper

A Model for Predicting Cognitive and Emotional Health from Structural and Functional Neurocircuitry Following Traumatic Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

of flowers or the smell of a fresh sea breeze or freshly baked bread. ................................ Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly...Score I. Four-Wheeled Ship BUS Bike Train 2. Dining Items SPOON Pan Bowl Can Opener 3. Clothing Jump Rope Ball SHOES Crayons 4. Fruits BANANA Bean...Love-Hate 14. TV-Newspaper 15. Smooth-Rough 16. Shoulder-Ankle 17. Sit-Run 18. Child-Adult 19. Steam-Cloud • 20 . .’, Bird~ Flower 21. 1 22 .. J

A Regional Real-time Forecast of Marine Boundary Layers During VOCALS-REx

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Condensation Nuclei) concentration pro- motes more precipitation, leading to the destruction and structural change of the clouds (e.g., Stevens et al...and Muñoz, 2004), investigations of cloud and dynamic pro- cesses in case studies (Mocko and Cotton , 1995; Mechem and Kogan, 2003; Thompson et al...land breeze, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L05605, doi:10.1029/2004GL022139, 2005. Golaz, J.-C., Larson, V. E., and Cotton ,W. R: A PDF-based model for

Bridging the Gap.

PubMed

Webb, Michele

2016-01-01

The view from the top of Hoover Dam looking south over the Colorado River was breathtaking! My friend and I stood there in silence, taking it all in. I had visited Hoover Dam on many occasions, but this visit was the first time I had seen the arch bridge that carries US Route 93 over the river and joins Nevada and Arizona states. It was a beautiful day, the temperature was perfect, and there was a slight breeze coming from Lake Mead behind us as we took in the view.

Determination of Spin Axis Orientation of Geosynchronous Objects Using Space-Based Sensors: An Initial Feasibility Investigation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

increased rate of satellite launches over time , and on-orbit incidents such as the Breeze-M explosion in 2007 and the Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251...respect to the observer. The reason that the synodic and sidereal periods differ is that during the time it takes for the satellite to complete one...take ~2 hours to traverse the region, allowing time to collect an uninterrupted sequence of photometry on the objects despite the need for NEOSSat to

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning custom home in the cold climate that got a HERS 30 without PV, with 2x8 24” on center walls with blown fiberglass and 4” polysio rigid foam; basement with 2” XPS interior, 4” under slab, 4” exterior of foundation wall; vented attic with R-100 blown cellulose; wo air-to-air heat pumps SEER 14.1; HSPF 9.6; heat pump water heater.

MicroRNA in Prostate Cancer Racial Disparities and Aggressiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

funded study and from the current protocol) who did not have extensive disease at diagnosis for PSA outcomes. Mean follow-up time is currently 58...months. Follow-up of PSA test results through medical records and Caisis database have just been updated, and a linkage with Metropolitan Detroit SEER...the cohort (from the previously funded study and from the current protocol) who did not have extensive disease at diagnosis for PSA outcomes. Mean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning production home in the mixed-dry climate that got a HERS 44 without PV, or HERS -2 with PV, with 2x4 walls 16” on center walls with R-15 cavity plus 1” EPS exterior rigid foam, slab on grade with R-10 slab edge; unvented attic with R-38 blown fiberglass netted to underside of roof deck; 19 SEER heat pump; heat pump water heater; 100% LED.

DOE ZERH Case Study: Palo Duro Homes, Via del Cielo, Santa Fe, NM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2015-09-01

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning production home in the mixed-dry climate that got a HERS 48 without PV, with 2x6 24” on center walls with R-21 blown fiberglass; slab foundation with R-10 under slab and R-5rigid foam at slab edge; vented attic with R-75 blown fiberglass; ducted minisplit heat pump 16.5 SEER, 9.5 HSPF.

Educational opportunities in bladder cancer: increasing cystoscopic adherence and the availability of smoking-cessation programs.

PubMed

Kowalkowski, Marc A; Goltz, Heather Honoré; Petersen, Nancy J; Amiel, Gilad E; Lerner, Seth P; Latini, David M

2014-12-01

Cancer survivors who continue to smoke following diagnosis are at increased risk for recurrence. Yet, smoking prevalence among survivors is similar to the general population. Adherence to cystoscopic surveillance is an important disease-management strategy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) survivors, but data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) suggest current adherence levels are insufficient to identify recurrences at critically early stages. This study was conducted to identify actionable targets for educational intervention to increase adherence to cystoscopic monitoring for disease recurrence or progression. NMIBC survivors (n = 109) completed telephone-based surveys. Adherence was determined by measuring time from diagnosis to interview date; cystoscopies received were then compared to American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests for univariate and logistic regression for multivariable analyses. Participants averaged 65 years (SD = 9.3) and were primarily white (95 %), male (75 %), married (75 %), and non-smokers (84 %). Eighty-three percent reported either Ta- or T1-stage bladder tumors. Forty-five percent met AUA guidelines for adherence. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers reported increased fear of recurrence and psychological distress (p < 0.05). In regression analyses, non-adherence was associated with smoking (OR = 33.91, p < 0.01), providing a behavioral marker to describe a survivor group with unmet needs that may contribute to low cystoscopic adherence. Research assessing survivorship needs and designing and evaluating educational programs for NMIBC survivors should be a high priority. Identifying unmet needs among NMIBC survivors and developing programs to address these needs may increase compliance with cystoscopic monitoring, improve outcomes, and enhance quality of life.

Age of diagnosis of breast cancer in china: almost 10 years earlier than in the United States and the European union.

PubMed

Song, Qing-Kun; Li, Jing; Huang, Rong; Fan, Jin-Hu; Zheng, Rong-Shou; Zhang, Bao-Ning; Zhang, Bin; Tang, Zhong-Hua; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Yang, Hong-Jian; He, Jian-Jun; Li, Hui; Li, Jia-Yuan; Qiao, You-Lin; Chen, Wan-Qing

2014-01-01

The study aimed to describe the age distribution of breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese females for comparison with the United States and the European Union, and provide evidence for the screening target population in China. Median age was estimated from hospital databases from 7 tertiary hospitals in China. Population-based data in China, United States and European Union was extracted from the National Central Cancer Registry, SEER program and GLOBOCAN 2008, respectively. Age-standardized distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis in the 3 areas was estimated based on the World Standard Population 2000. The median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was around 50 in China, nearly 10 years earlier than United States and European Union. The diagnosis age in China did not vary between subgroups of calendar year, region and pathological characteristics. With adjustment for population structure, median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was 50~54 in China, but 55~59 in United States and European Union. The median diagnosis age of female breast cancer is much earlier in China than in the United States and the European Union pointing to racial differences in genetics and lifestyle. Screening programs should start at an earlier age for Chinese women and age disparities between Chinese and Western women warrant further studies.

A novel web informatics approach for automated surveillance of cancer mortality trends✩

PubMed Central

Tourassi, Georgia; Yoon, Hong-Jun; Xu, Songhua

2016-01-01

Cancer surveillance data are collected every year in the United States via the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). General trends are closely monitored to measure the nation's progress against cancer. The objective of this study was to apply a novel web informatics approach for enabling fully automated monitoring of cancer mortality trends. The approach involves automated collection and text mining of online obituaries to derive the age distribution, geospatial, and temporal trends of cancer deaths in the US. Using breast and lung cancer as examples, we mined 23,850 cancer-related and 413,024 general online obituaries spanning the timeframe 2008–2012. There was high correlation between the web-derived mortality trends and the official surveillance statistics reported by NCI with respect to the age distribution (ρ = 0.981 for breast; ρ = 0.994 for lung), the geospatial distribution (ρ = 0.939 for breast; ρ = 0.881 for lung), and the annual rates of cancer deaths (ρ = 0.661 for breast; ρ = 0.839 for lung). Additional experiments investigated the effect of sample size on the consistency of the web-based findings. Overall, our study findings support web informatics as a promising, cost-effective way to dynamically monitor spatiotemporal cancer mortality trends. PMID:27044930

A novel web informatics approach for automated surveillance of cancer mortality trends

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tourassi, Georgia; Yoon, Hong -Jun; Xu, Songhua

Cancer surveillance data are collected every year in the United States via the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). General trends are closely monitored to measure the nation’s progress against cancer. The objective of this study was to apply a novel web informatics approach for enabling fully automated monitoring of cancer mortality trends. The approach involves automated collection and text mining of online obituaries to derive the age distribution, geospatial, and temporal trends of cancer deaths in the US. Using breast and lung cancer asmore » examples, we mined 23,850 cancer-related and 413,024 general online obituaries spanning the timeframe 2008–2012. There was high correlation between the web-derived mortality trends and the official surveillance statistics reported by NCI with respect to the age distribution (ρ = 0.981 for breast; ρ = 0.994 for lung), the geospatial distribution (ρ = 0.939 for breast; ρ = 0.881 for lung), and the annual rates of cancer deaths (ρ = 0.661 for breast; ρ = 0.839 for lung). Additional experiments investigated the effect of sample size on the consistency of the web-based findings. Altogether, our study findings support web informatics as a promising, cost-effective way to dynamically monitor spatiotemporal cancer mortality trends.« less

A novel web informatics approach for automated surveillance of cancer mortality trends

DOE PAGES

Tourassi, Georgia; Yoon, Hong -Jun; Xu, Songhua

2016-04-01

Cancer surveillance data are collected every year in the United States via the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). General trends are closely monitored to measure the nation’s progress against cancer. The objective of this study was to apply a novel web informatics approach for enabling fully automated monitoring of cancer mortality trends. The approach involves automated collection and text mining of online obituaries to derive the age distribution, geospatial, and temporal trends of cancer deaths in the US. Using breast and lung cancer asmore » examples, we mined 23,850 cancer-related and 413,024 general online obituaries spanning the timeframe 2008–2012. There was high correlation between the web-derived mortality trends and the official surveillance statistics reported by NCI with respect to the age distribution (ρ = 0.981 for breast; ρ = 0.994 for lung), the geospatial distribution (ρ = 0.939 for breast; ρ = 0.881 for lung), and the annual rates of cancer deaths (ρ = 0.661 for breast; ρ = 0.839 for lung). Additional experiments investigated the effect of sample size on the consistency of the web-based findings. Altogether, our study findings support web informatics as a promising, cost-effective way to dynamically monitor spatiotemporal cancer mortality trends.« less

Use of Bayesian Decision Analysis to Minimize Harm in Patient-Centered Randomized Clinical Trials in Oncology.

PubMed

Montazerhodjat, Vahid; Chaudhuri, Shomesh E; Sargent, Daniel J; Lo, Andrew W

2017-09-14

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) currently apply the same statistical threshold of alpha = 2.5% for controlling for false-positive results or type 1 error, regardless of the burden of disease or patient preferences. Is there an objective and systematic framework for designing RCTs that incorporates these considerations on a case-by-case basis? To apply Bayesian decision analysis (BDA) to cancer therapeutics to choose an alpha and sample size that minimize the potential harm to current and future patients under both null and alternative hypotheses. We used the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and data from the 10 clinical trials of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. The NCI SEER database was used because it is the most comprehensive cancer database in the United States. The Alliance trial data was used owing to the quality and breadth of data, and because of the expertise in these trials of one of us (D.J.S.). The NCI SEER and Alliance data have already been thoroughly vetted. Computations were replicated independently by 2 coauthors and reviewed by all coauthors. Our prior hypothesis was that an alpha of 2.5% would not minimize the overall expected harm to current and future patients for the most deadly cancers, and that a less conservative alpha may be necessary. Our primary study outcomes involve measuring the potential harm to patients under both null and alternative hypotheses using NCI and Alliance data, and then computing BDA-optimal type 1 error rates and sample sizes for oncology RCTs. We computed BDA-optimal parameters for the 23 most common cancer sites using NCI data, and for the 10 Alliance clinical trials. For RCTs involving therapies for cancers with short survival times, no existing treatments, and low prevalence, the BDA-optimal type 1 error rates were much higher than the traditional 2.5%. For cancers with longer survival times, existing treatments, and high prevalence, the corresponding BDA-optimal error rates were much lower, in some cases even lower than 2.5%. Bayesian decision analysis is a systematic, objective, transparent, and repeatable process for deciding the outcomes of RCTs that explicitly incorporates burden of disease and patient preferences.

Development and validation of SEER (Seeking, Engaging with and Evaluating Research): a measure of policymakers' capacity to engage with and use research.

PubMed

Brennan, Sue E; McKenzie, Joanne E; Turner, Tari; Redman, Sally; Makkar, Steve; Williamson, Anna; Haynes, Abby; Green, Sally E

2017-01-17

Capacity building strategies are widely used to increase the use of research in policy development. However, a lack of well-validated measures for policy contexts has hampered efforts to identify priorities for capacity building and to evaluate the impact of strategies. We aimed to address this gap by developing SEER (Seeking, Engaging with and Evaluating Research), a self-report measure of individual policymakers' capacity to engage with and use research. We used the SPIRIT Action Framework to identify pertinent domains and guide development of items for measuring each domain. Scales covered (1) individual capacity to use research (confidence in using research, value placed on research, individual perceptions of the value their organisation places on research, supporting tools and systems), (2) actions taken to engage with research and researchers, and (3) use of research to inform policy (extent and type of research use). A sample of policymakers engaged in health policy development provided data to examine scale reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (relation to measures of similar concepts, relation to a measure of intention to use research, internal structure of the individual capacity scales). Response rates were 55% (150/272 people, 12 agencies) for the validity and internal consistency analyses, and 54% (57/105 people, 9 agencies) for test-retest reliability. The individual capacity scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (alpha coefficients > 0.7, all four scales) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients > 0.7 for three scales and 0.59 for fourth scale). Scores on individual capacity scales converged as predicted with measures of similar concepts (moderate correlations of > 0.4), and confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence that the scales measured related but distinct concepts. Items in each of these four scales related as predicted to concepts in the measurement model derived from the SPIRIT Action Framework. Evidence about the reliability and validity of the research engagement actions and research use scales was equivocal. Initial testing of SEER suggests that the four individual capacity scales may be used in policy settings to examine current capacity and identify areas for capacity building. The relation between capacity, research engagement actions and research use requires further investigation.

Rigid Esophagoscopy for Head and Neck Cancer Staging and the Incidence of Synchronous Esophageal Malignant Neoplasms.

PubMed

McGarey, Patrick O; O'Rourke, Ashli K; Owen, Scott R; Shonka, David C; Reibel, James F; Levine, Paul A; Jameson, Mark J

2016-01-01

Rigid esophagoscopy (RE) was once an essential part of the evaluation of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) due to the high likelihood of identifying a synchronous malignant neoplasm in the esophagus. Given recent advances in imaging and endoscopic techniques and changes in the incidence of esophageal cancer, the current role for RE in HNSCC staging is unclear. To analyze the current role of RE in evaluating patients with HNSCC, and to determine the incidence of synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms in patients with HNSCC. In this retrospective study performed at an academic tertiary care center, 582 patients were studied who had undergone RE for HNSCC staging from July 1, 2004, through October 31, 2012. To assess the incidence of synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms, a literature review was performed, and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data set was queried. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms, as measured by retrospective review at our institution, SEER data set analysis, and literature review. Secondary outcome measures were RE complications and nonmalignant findings during RE. A total of 601 staging REs were performed in 582 patients. The mean age was 60.2 years and 454 (78.0%) were men. There were 9 complications (1.5%), including 1 esophageal perforation (0.2%). Rigid esophagoscopy was aborted in 50 cases. Of the 551 completed REs, no abnormal findings were noted in 523 patients (94.9%), and nonmalignant pathologic findings were identified in 28 patients (5.1%). No synchronous primary esophageal carcinomas were detected. The incidence of synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms found on screening endoscopy based on literature review and on SEER data set analysis was very low and has decreased from 1980 to 2010 in North America. The incidence reported in South America and Asia was relatively high. Rigid esophagoscopy is safe, but the utility is low for cancer staging and for detection of nonmalignant esophageal disease. Review of the literature and analysis of a large national cancer data set indicate that the incidence of synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms in patients with HNSCC is low and has been decreasing during the past 3 decades. Thus, screening esophagoscopy should be limited to patients with HNSCC who are at high risk for synchronous esophageal malignant neoplasms.

Use of Bayesian Decision Analysis to Minimize Harm in Patient-Centered Randomized Clinical Trials in Oncology

PubMed Central

Montazerhodjat, Vahid; Chaudhuri, Shomesh E.; Sargent, Daniel J.

2017-01-01

Importance Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) currently apply the same statistical threshold of alpha = 2.5% for controlling for false-positive results or type 1 error, regardless of the burden of disease or patient preferences. Is there an objective and systematic framework for designing RCTs that incorporates these considerations on a case-by-case basis? Objective To apply Bayesian decision analysis (BDA) to cancer therapeutics to choose an alpha and sample size that minimize the potential harm to current and future patients under both null and alternative hypotheses. Data Sources We used the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and data from the 10 clinical trials of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Study Selection The NCI SEER database was used because it is the most comprehensive cancer database in the United States. The Alliance trial data was used owing to the quality and breadth of data, and because of the expertise in these trials of one of us (D.J.S.). Data Extraction and Synthesis The NCI SEER and Alliance data have already been thoroughly vetted. Computations were replicated independently by 2 coauthors and reviewed by all coauthors. Main Outcomes and Measures Our prior hypothesis was that an alpha of 2.5% would not minimize the overall expected harm to current and future patients for the most deadly cancers, and that a less conservative alpha may be necessary. Our primary study outcomes involve measuring the potential harm to patients under both null and alternative hypotheses using NCI and Alliance data, and then computing BDA-optimal type 1 error rates and sample sizes for oncology RCTs. Results We computed BDA-optimal parameters for the 23 most common cancer sites using NCI data, and for the 10 Alliance clinical trials. For RCTs involving therapies for cancers with short survival times, no existing treatments, and low prevalence, the BDA-optimal type 1 error rates were much higher than the traditional 2.5%. For cancers with longer survival times, existing treatments, and high prevalence, the corresponding BDA-optimal error rates were much lower, in some cases even lower than 2.5%. Conclusions and Relevance Bayesian decision analysis is a systematic, objective, transparent, and repeatable process for deciding the outcomes of RCTs that explicitly incorporates burden of disease and patient preferences. PMID:28418507

Helicity in the atmospheric boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurgansky, Michael; Koprov, Boris; Koprov, Victor; Chkhetiani, Otto

2017-04-01

An overview is presented of recent direct field measurements at the Tsimlyansk Scientific Station of A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Moscow of turbulent helicity (and potential vorticity) using four acoustic anemometers positioned, within the atmospheric surface-adjacent boundary layer, in the vertices of a rectangular tetrahedron, with an approximate 5 m distance between the anemometers and a 5.5 m elevation of the tetrahedron base above the ground surface (Koprov, Koprov, Kurgansky and Chkhetiani. Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 2015, Vol.51, 565-575). The same ideology was applied in a later field experiment in Tsimlyansk with the tetrahedron's size of 0.7 m and variable elevation over the ground from 3.5 to 25 m. It is illustrated with examples of the statistical distribution of instantaneous (both positive and negative) turbulent helicity values. A theory is proposed that explains the measured mean turbulent helicity sign, including the sign of contribution to helicity from the horizontal and vertical velocity & vorticity components, respectively, and the sign of helicity buoyant production term. By considering a superposition of the classic Ekman spiral solution and a jet-like wind profile that mimics a shallow breeze circulation over a non-uniformly heated Earth surface, a possible explanation is provided, why the measured mean turbulent helicity sign is negative. The pronounced breeze circulation over the Tsimlyansk polygon which is located nearby the Tsimlyansk Reservoir was, indeed, observed during the measurements period. Whereas, essentially positive helicity is injected into the boundary layer from the free atmosphere in the Northern Hemisphere.

High-resolution modeling of local air-sea interaction within the Marine Continent using COAMPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, T. G.; Chen, S.; Flatau, M. K.; Smith, T.; Rydbeck, A.

2016-12-01

The Maritime Continent (MC) is a region of intense deep atmospheric convection that serves as an important source of forcing for the Hadley and Walker circulations. The convective activity in the MC region spans multiple scales from local mesoscales to regional scales, and impacts equatorial wave propagation, coupled air-sea interaction and intra seasonal oscillations. The complex distribution of islands, shallow seas with fairly small heat storage and deep seas with large heat capacity is challenging to model. Diurnal convection over land-sea is part of a land-sea breeze system on a small scale, and is highly influenced by large variations in orography over land and marginal seas. Daytime solar insolation, run-off from the Archipelago and nighttime rainfall tends to stabilize the water column, while mixing by tidal currents and locally forced winds promote vertical mixing. The runoff from land and rivers and high net precipitation result in fresh water lenses that enhance vertical stability in the water column and help maintain high SST. We use the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave version of the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) developed at NRL with resolution of a few kilometers to investigate the air-sea interaction associated with the land-sea breeze system in the MC under active and inactive phases of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. The high resolution enables simulation of strong SST gradients associated with local upwelling in deeper waters and strong salinity gradients near rivers and from heavy precipitation.

Observational study of atmospheric surface layer and coastal weather in northern Qatar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Dhrubajyoti; Sadr, Reza

2016-04-01

Atmospheric surface layer is the interaction medium between atmosphere and Earth's surface. Better understanding of its turbulence nature is essential in characterizing the local weather, climate variability and modeling of turbulent exchange processes. The importance of Middle East region, with its unique geographical, economical and weather condition is well recognized. However, high quality micrometeorological observational studies are rare in this region. Here we show experimental results from micrometeorological observations from an experimental site in the coastal region of Qatar during August-December 2015. Measurements of winds are obtained from three sonic anemometers installed on a 9 m tower placed at Al Ghariyah beach in northern Qatar (26.08 °N, 51.36 °E). Different surface layer characteristics is analyzed and compared with earlier studies in equivalent weather conditions. Monthly statistics of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity and heat index are made from concurrent observations from sonic anemometer and weather station to explore variations with surface layer characteristics. The results also highlights potential impact of sea breeze circulation on local weather and atmospheric turbulence. The observed daily maximum temperature and heat index during morning period may be related to sea breeze circulations. Along with the operational micrometeorological observation system, a camera system and ultrasonic wave measurement system are installed recently in the site to study coastline development and nearshore wave dynamics. Overall, the complete observational set up is going to provide new insights about nearshore wind dynamics and wind-wave interaction in Qatar.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Yan; Fan, Jiwen; Leung, L. Ruby

Significant reduction in precipitation in the past decades has been documented over many mountain ranges such as those in central and eastern China. Consistent with the increase of air pollution in these regions, it has been argued that the precipitation trend is linked to aerosol microphysical effect on suppressing warm rain. Rigorous quantitative investigations on the reasons responsible for the precipitation reduction are lacking. Here in this study, we employed an improved Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with online coupled chemistry (WRF-Chem) and conducted simulations at the convection-permitting scale to explore the major mechanisms governing changes in precipitation frommore » orographic clouds in the Mountain (Mt.) Hua area in Central China. We find that anthropogenic pollution contributes to a ~ 40% reduction of precipitation over Mt. Hua during the one-month summer time period. The reduction is mainly associated with precipitation events associated with valleymountain circulation and a mesoscale cold front event. In this Part I paper, we scrutinize the mechanism leading to significant reduction for the cases associated with valley-mountain circulation. We find that the valley breeze is weakened by aerosols due to absorbing aerosol induced warming aloft and cooling near the surface as a result of aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI). The weakened valley breeze along with reduced water vapor in the valley due to reduced evapotranspiration as a result of surface cooling significantly reduce the transport of water vapor from the valley to mountain and the relative humidity over the mountain, thus suppressing convection and precipitation in the mountain.« less

A TRMM-Calibrated Infrared Technique for Convective and Stratiform Rainfall: Analysis and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Negri, Andrew; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A satellite infrared technique with passive microwave calibration has been developed for estimating convective and stratiform rainfall. The Convective-Stratiform Technique, calibrated by coincident, physically retrieved rain rates from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), has been applied to 30 min interval GOES infrared data and aggregated over seasonal and yearly periods over northern South America. The diurnal cycle of rainfall, as well as the division between convective and stratiform rainfall is presented. For the period Jan-April 1999, analysis revealed significant effects of local circulations (river breeze, land/sea breeze, mountain/valley) on both the total rainfall and it's diurnal cycle. Results compared well (a one-hour lag) with the diurnal cycle derived from TOGA radar-estimated rainfall in Rondonia. The satellite estimates revealed that the convective rain constituted 24% of the rain area while accounting for 67% of the rain volume. Estimates of the diurnal cycle (both total rainfall and convective/stratiform) for an area encompassing the Amazon Basin (3 x 10(exp 6) sq km) were in phase with those from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, despite the latter's limited sampling. Results will be presented comparing the yearly (2000) diurnal cycle for large regions (including the Amazon Basin), and an intercomparison of January-March estimates for three years, (1999-2001). We hope to demonstrate the utility of using the TRMM PR observations as verification for infrared estimates of the diurnal cycle, and as verification of the apportionment of rainfall into convective and stratiform components.

A TRMM-Calibrated Infrared Technique for Convective and Stratiform Rainfall: Analysis and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Negri, Andrew; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A satellite infrared technique with passive microwave calibration has been developed for estimating convective and stratiform. rainfall. The Convective-Stratiform Technique, calibrated by coincident, physically retrieved rain rates from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), has been applied to 30 min interval GOES infrared data and aggregated over seasonal and yearly periods over northern South America. The diurnal cycle of rainfall, as well as the division between convective and stratiform rainfall is presented. For the period Jan-April 1999, analysis revealed significant effects of local circulations (river breeze, land/sea breeze, mountain/valley) on both the total rainfall and it's diurnal cycle. Results compared well (a one-hour lag) with the diurnal cycle derived from TOGA radar-estimated rainfall in Rondonia. The satellite estimates revealed that the convective rain constituted 24% of the rain area while accounting for 67% of the rain volume. Estimates of the diurnal cycle (both total rainfall and convective/stratiform) for an area encompassing the Amazon Basin (3 x 10(exp 6) square km) were in phase with those from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, despite the latter's limited sampling. Results will be presented comparing the yearly (2000) diurnal cycle for large regions (including the Amazon Basin), and an intercomparison of January-March estimates for three years, 1999-2001. We hope to demonstrate the utility of using the TRMM PR observations as verification for infrared estimates of the diurnal cycle, and as verification of the apportionment of rainfall into convective and stratiform components.

Convection anomalies associated with warm eddy at the coastal area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, R.; Wang, D.

2017-12-01

A possible correlation between a warm eddy and thunderstorms and convective precipitations are investigated at the coastal area in the northwestern South China Sea. Compared to the climatological mean in August from 2006 to 2013, an extreme enhancement of thunderstorm activities and precipitation rate are identified at the southern offshore area of Hainan island in August 2010 when a strong and long-live warm eddy was observed near the coastline at the same time. The 3 hourly satellite data (TRMM) indicate that the nocturnal convections is strong offshore and that could be responsible for the extreme positive anomalies of thunderstorms and rainfall in August 2010. The TRMM data also show a small reduction of thunderstorm activities and rainfall on the island in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was applied to simulate the change of rainfall in August 2010. The WRF simulation of rainfall rate is comparable with the observation results while there is some difference in the spatial distribution. The WRF simulation successfully captured the strong offshore rainfall and the diurnal variation of rainfall in August 2010. The WRF simulation indicated that the different convergence induced by sea/land breeze could be one essential reason for the adjustment of thunderstorms and rainfall in 2010. The substantial connection between sea/land breeze and upper layer heat content modified by the warm eddy is still on ongoing and will be reported in the future work.

Influence of technique and manipulation on self-adhesive resin cements used to cement intraradicular posts.

PubMed

Shiratori, Fábio Kenji; Valle, Accácio Lins do; Pegoraro, Thiago Amadei; Carvalho, Ricardo Marins; Pereira, Jefferson Ricardo

2013-07-01

Resin cements are widely used to cement intraradicular posts, but bond strength is significantly influenced by the technique and material used for cementation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bond strength of 3 self-adhesive cements used to cement intraradicular glass fiber posts. The cements all required different application and handling techniques. Forty-five human maxillary canines were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups n= 15 by drawing lots: Group BIS - Biscem, Group BRE - Breeze, and Group MAX - Maxcem. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups according to application and handling techniques: Sub-group A - Automix/Point tip applicator, Sub-group L - Handmix/Lentulo, and Sub-group C - Handmix/Centrix. Cementation of the posts was performed according to the manufacturers' instructions. The push-out test was performed with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min, and bond strength was expressed in megapascals. The results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and the all pairwise multiple comparison procedures (Tukey test) (α=.05). Breeze cement showed the highest average for the subgroups A, L, and C when compared to the Biscem cement and Maxcem Elite (P<.05). Statistically significant differences among the subgroups were only observed for Biscem. This study shows that application and handling techniques may influence the bond strength of different self-adhesive cements when used for intraradicular post cementation. Copyright © 2013 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Near-inertial motions in the Brazil Current at 24°S-36°S: Observations by satellite tracked drifters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assireu, Arcilan T.; Dauhut, Thibaut; dos Santos, Francisco A.; Lorenzzetti, João A.

2017-08-01

Increased spatial and temporal resolution of recent observations and modeling have pointed out the importance of small scale structures (in the range of 1-50 km) for the mixing processes in the ocean. Based on high-frequency drifter measurements, we show here that the near-inertial currents (NICs) can contribute significantly to the surface kinetic energy in the Brazil Current (BC) region and, therefore, should be properly taken into account in the studies of transport and mixing processes. To characterize these submesoscale features, we examine the current response to the wind forcing in the Brazilian ocean margin between 24°S and 36°S using 3-hourly sampled trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters. Our results indicate a preference for anti-cyclonic circular motions, with a rotating period close to the local inertial period, consistent with near-inertial motions in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Wind stress time series, from three months of wind measurements, along with synoptic weather charts, are used to relate the observed NICs to the atmospheric forcing. During SH spring, NICs occur in 4.7-15 day bursts and account for 15-45% of the total surface current variance. This intermittency is related to atmospheric cold frontal passages, low pressure systems, and sea breeze/land breeze circulations. The predominance of NICs south of 28°S appears to be related to the increased Effective Inertial Frequency (EIF), which is the inertial frequency changed by the sub-inertial background flow.

Expression of Proteins Involved in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition as Predictors of Metastasis and Survival in Breast Cancer Patients

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), works-in-progress meetings, weekly Institute-wide seminar series, and monthly Breast Disease Site Research...status to the tumor size-lymph node metastasis relationship. This analysis included 805 women diagnosed with primary, incident breast cancer enrolled...to the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services. Collection of NJ cancer incidence data is supported by SEER under contract N01-PC-95001-20. The

DOE ZERH Case Study: Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota, Laurel Gardens #794, Nakomis, FL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2015-09-01

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning affordable home in the hot-humid climate that got a HERS 51 without PV, with foam-filled masonry block walls with .75” rigid foam, furring strips, and foil-faced paper on interior walls; R-20 ocsf in roof of sealed attic, uninsulated slab, 15 SEER 8.0 HSPF heat pump walls for heating and cooling, heat pump water heater.

Blind Seer: A Scalable Private DBMS

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

searchable index terms per DB row, in time comparable to (insecure) MySQL (many practical queries can be privately executed with work 1.2-3 times slower...than MySQL , although some queries are costlier). We support a rich query set, including searching on arbitrary boolean formulas on keywords and ranges...index terms per DB row, in time comparable to (insecure) MySQL (many practical queries can be privately executed with work 1.2-3 times slower than MySQL

DOE ZERH Case Study: Mandalay Homes, Vision Hill Lot 1, Glendale, AZ

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

2015-09-01

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning production home in the hot-dry climate that got a HERS 52 without PV, or HERS -2 with PV, with 2x6 16” on center walls with R-14 ocsf plus R-4 rigid exterior; slab on grade with R-8 slab edge; sealed attic with R-31 ocsf under roof deck; 92 AFUE furnace, 15 SEER AC, 100% LED.

Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes in pleomorphic lobular breast carcinoma of the breast: a SEER population-based study.

PubMed

Yang, Li-Peng; Sun, He-Fen; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Meng-Ting; Zhang, Nong; Jin, Wei

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the clinicopathological features and survival outcome of pleomorphic lobular carcinoma (PLC) of breast, we identified 131 PLC patients and 460,109 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. PLCs presented with increased lymph node involvement, older age, higher AJCC stage and grade, and lower median survival months (PLC 84 ± 51.03 vs. IDC 105.2 ± 64.39 P < 0.01). Compared to IDC patients, PLC patients were more inclined to be treated with mastectomy. In univariate analysis, PLC patients showed a worse disease-specific survival (DSS) than that of IDC patients (hazard ratio = 0.691, 95% confidence interval 0.534-0.893, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, we took into account other prognostic factors and found that the histology types were no longer an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.120). DSS have no difference between matched IDC and PLC groups (P = 0.615). This result may be due to PLCs presenting higher tumor stage, higher tumor grade, and higher rate of LN metastasis than IDCs. Our conclusion is that PLC and IDC have many different characteristics, but there is not enough difference on the DSS. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Marital status is an independent prognostic factor for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors patients: An analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

PubMed

Zhou, Huaqiang; Zhang, Yuanzhe; Song, Yiyan; Tan, Wulin; Qiu, Zeting; Li, Si; Chen, Qinchang; Gao, Shaowei

2017-09-01

Marital status's prognostic impact on pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) has not been rigorously studied. We aimed to explore the relationship between marital status and outcomes of PNET. We retrospectively investigated 2060 PNET cases between 2004 and 2010 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Variables were compared by Chi 2 test, t-test as appropriate. Kaplan-Meier methods and COX proportional hazard models were used to ascertain independent prognostic factors. Married patients had better 5-year overall survival (OS) (53.37% vs. 42.27%, P<0.001) and 5-year pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor specific survival (PNSS) (67.76% vs. 59.82%, P=0.001) comparing with unmarried patients. Multivariate analysis revealed marital status is an independent prognostic factor, with married patients showing better OS (HR=0.74; 95% CI: 0.65-0.84; P<0.001) and PNSS (HR=0.78; 95% CI: 0.66-0.92; P=0.004). Subgroup analysis suggested marital status plays a more important role in the PNET patients with distant stage rather than regional or localized disease. Marital status is an independent prognostic factor for survival in PNET patients. Poor prognosis in unmarried patients may be associated with a delayed diagnosis with advanced tumor stage, psychosocial and socioeconomic factors. Further studies are needed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Survival Advantage Associated with Decrease in Stage at Detection from Stage IIIC to Stage IIIA Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Lefringhouse, Jason; Pavlik, Edward; Miller, Rachel; DeSimone, Christopher; Ueland, Frederick; Kryscio, Richard; van Nagell, J. R.

2014-01-01

Objective. The aim of this study was to document the survival advantage of lowering stage at detection from Stage IIIC to Stage IIIA epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods. Treatment outcomes and survival were evaluated in patients with Stage IIIA and Stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer treated from 2000 to 2009 at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center (UKMCC) and SEER institutions. Results. Cytoreduction to no visible disease (P < 0.0001) and complete response to platinum-based chemotherapy (P < 0.025) occurred more frequently in Stage IIIA than in Stage IIIC cases. Time to progression was shorter in patients with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer (17 ± 1 months) than in those with Stage II1A disease (36 ± 8 months). Five-year overall survival (OS) improved from 41% in Stage IIIC patients to 60% in Stage IIIA patients treated at UKMCC and from 37% to 56% in patients treated at SEER institutions for a survival advantage of 19% in both data sets. 53% of Stage IIIA and 14% of Stage IIIC patients had NED at last followup. Conclusions. Decreasing stage at detection from Stage IIIC to stage IIIA epithelial ovarian cancer is associated with a 5-year survival advantage of nearly 20% in patients treated by surgical tumor cytoreduction and platinum-based chemotherapy. PMID:25254047

Cost-effectiveness of carfilzomib plus dexamethasone compared with bortezomib plus dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in the United States.

PubMed

Jakubowiak, Andrzej J; Houisse, Ivan; Májer, István; Benedict, Ágnes; Campioni, Marco; Panjabi, Sumeet; Ailawadhi, Sikander

2017-12-01

We assessed the economic value of carfilzomib 56 mg/m 2 and dexamethasone (Kd56) vs. bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/RMM) using ENDEAVOR trial results. Cost-effectiveness of Kd56 vs. Vd was assessed using a partitioned survival model by estimating progression-free survival, overall survival, and direct costs over a lifetime horizon. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) survival data were extrapolated after matching registry and ENDEAVOR patients. Utilities were sourced from the literature and mapped from patient-reported quality of life in ENDEAVOR to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) from life-years (LYs). The model predicted an average gain of 1.66 LYs and 1.50 QALYs with Kd56 vs. Vd, and lifetime additional costs of $182,699, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $121,828/QALY gained. The ICER was $114,793/QALY in patients with 1 prior treatment; $99,263/QALY in those not transplanted, and <$150,000/QALY up to an 85% discount in bortezomib price. Kd56 is cost-effective for patients with R/RMM at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000/QALY. Trial data in the model may limit generalizability; however, SEER registry data mitigates this challenge. Kd56 provides additional value in key subgroups, and remains cost-effective after steep comparator discounts.

Impact of age on the survival of patients with liver cancer: an analysis of 27,255 patients in the SEER database.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjie; Sun, Beicheng

2015-01-20

The risk of liver cancer (LC) is regarded as age dependent. However, the influence of age on its prognosis is controversial. The aim of our study was to compare the long-term survival of younger versus older patients with LC. In this retrospective study, we searched Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-RESULTS (SEER) population-based data and identified 27,255 patients diagnosed with LC between 1988 and 2003. These patients were categorized into younger (45 years and under) and older age (over 45 years of age) groups. Five-year cancer specific survival data was obtained. Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression models were used to analyze long-term survival outcomes and risk factors. There were significant differences between groups with regards to pathologic grading, histologic type, stage, and tumor size (p < 0.001). The 5-year liver cancer specific survival (LCSS) rates in the younger and older age groups were 14.5% and 8.4%, respectively (p < 0.001 by univariate and multivariate analysis). A stratified analysis of age on cancer survival showed only localized and regional stages to be validated as independent predictors, but not for advanced stages. Compared to older patients, younger patients with LC have a higher LCSS after surgery, despite the poorer biological behavior of this carcinoma.

Role of liver-directed local tumor therapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma with extrahepatic metastases: a SEER database analysis.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-02-01

This study assessed the prognostic impact of the liver-directed local tumor therapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with extrahepatic metastases. Metastatic HCC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2013 were identified from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database. Propensity-matched analysis was performed considering baseline characteristics (age, gender, race, histology, TNM stage, site of metastases, fibrosis score and alpha fetoprotein). A total of 2529 patients were identified. The median age was 65 years, and 151 patients received liver-directed local treatment (either surgical treatment or local destructive treatment). Both before and after propensity score matching, cancer-specific and overall survival (p < 0.0001 for all) were better in the liver-directed local therapy group. When the overall survival was stratified by the type of local treatment (surgical resection versus destructive treatment), both types of treatment improved overall survival (p < 0.0001 for both). In multivariate analysis of the matched population, the only factor correlated with better survival receiving is local therapy (p < 0.0001). This analysis suggests that liver-directed local treatment may play a role -in addition to systemic treatment- in the management of selected patients with metastatic HCC. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm or deny this hypothesis.

Postoperative radioactive iodine-131 ablation is not necessary among patients with intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a population-based study.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong; Cai, Yuechang; Zheng, Li; Zhang, Zhanlei; Jiang, Ningyi

2017-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation among patients with intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) following surgery. This population based study obtained information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Research Data (1973-2013). National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Programme, Surveillance Systems Branch, released April 2016, based on the November 2015 submission. A total of 93,530 patients with primary thyroid cancer were identified in the SEER database during the period of 2004-2013 and focused on patients with DTC post-operatively treated or not treated with radioactive iodine (RAI). From these 9,127 patients were selected who had intermediate-risk DTC. A total of 8,601 patients were included in this study. For the overall population, the mean age of the population was 47.3 years and the majority were female (70.5%). Kaplan-Meier analysis found the mean overall survival time (os) for subjects with no radiation therapy which was 112.9 months and 114.9 months for those who received RAI ablation treatment (P<0.001). However, thyroid cancer-specific survival was not significantly different between treatment groups (117.7 vs. 118.0 months, log-rank test P=0.164). Overall survival and thyroid cancer-specific 1 year, 5 years, and 10-years survival rates were ≥89.8% and were similar between both treated groups. Multivariate analysis found age, gender, histologic type, and degree of lymph node metastases to be associated with OS, and age, gender, degree of lymph node metastasis and extra-thyroid tumor spread were independent factors for cancer-specific survival. In DTC patients with intermediate cancer risk multivariate analysis found that RAI was associated with a reduced risk of mortality compared with no radiation therapy (HR=0.710, 95% CI: 0.562-0.897, P=0.004) but no significant difference was seen in cancer-specific survival, either based on whole study population or on tumor size category. In DTC patients with intermediate cancer risk although postoperative RAI ablation following surgery showed a benefit in overall survival, no significant difference was seen in cancer-specific survival, either based on whole study population or on tumor size category.

Observations of Urban Heat Island Mitigation in California Coastal Cities due to a Sea Breeze Induced Coastal-Cooling ``REVERSE-REACTION'' to Global Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornstein, R. D.; Lebassi, B.; Gonzalez, J.

2010-12-01

The study evaluated long-term (1948-2005) air temperatures at over 300 urban and rural sites in California (CA) during summer (June-August, JJA). The aggregate CA results showed asymmetric warming, as daily min temperatures increased faster than daily max temperatures. The spatial distributions of daily max temperatures in the heavily urbanized South Coast and San Francisco Bay Area air basins, however, exhibited a complex pattern, with cooling at low-elevation (mainly urban) coastal-areas and warming at (mainly rural) inland areas. Previous studies have suggested that cooling summer max temperatures in CA were due to increased irrigation, coastal upwelling, or cloud cover. The current hypothesis, however, is that this temperature pattern arises from a “reverse-reaction” to greenhouse gas (GHG) induced global-warming. In this hypothesis, the global warming of inland areas resulted in an increased (cooling) sea breeze activity in coastal areas. That daytime summer coastal cooling was seen in coastal urban areas implies that urban heat island (UHI) warming was weaker than the reverse-reaction sea breeze cooling; if there was no UHI effect, then the cooling would have been even stronger. Analysis of daytime summer max temperatures at four adjacent pairs of urban and rural sites near the inland cooling-warming boundary, however, showed that the rural sites experienced cooling, while the urban sites showed warming due to UHI development. The rate of heat island growth was estimated as the sum of each urban warming rate and the absolute magnitude of the concurrent adjacent rural cooling rate. Values ranged from 0.12 to 0.55 K decade-1, and were proportional to changes in urban population and urban extent. As Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton, and San José have grown in aerial extent (21 to 59%) and population (40 to 118%), part of the observed increased JJA max values could be due to increased daytime UHI-intensity. Without UHI effects, the currently observed JJA SFBA coastal-cooling area might have expanded to include these sites, as the first three are adjacent to rural airport sites that showed cooling max-values due to increased marine influences. In addition, all urbanized sites with decreasing max-values would probably show even larger cooling rates if UHI effects could be removed. Significant societal impacts may result from this observed reverse-reaction to GHG-warming. Possible beneficial effects (especially during periods of UHI growth) include decreased maximum: O3 levels, per-capita energy requirements for cooling, and human thermal-stress levels.

Creating collaborative learning environments for transforming primary care practices now.

PubMed

Miller, William L; Cohen-Katz, Joanne

2010-12-01

The renewal of primary care waits just ahead. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) movement and a refreshing breeze of collaboration signal its arrival with demonstration projects and pilots appearing across the country. An early message from this work suggests that the development of collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams may be essential for the success of the PCMH. Our focus in this article is on training existing health care professionals toward being thriving members of this transformed clinical care team in a relationship-centered PCMH. Our description of the optimal conditions for collaborative training begins with delineating three types of teams and how they relate to levels of collaboration. We then describe how to create a supportive, safe learning environment for this type of training, using a different model of professional socialization, and tools for building culture. Critical skills related to practice development and the cross-disciplinary collaborative processes are also included. Despite significant obstacles in readying current clinicians to be members of thriving collaborative teams, a few next steps toward implementing collaborative training programs for existing professionals are possible using competency-based and adult learning approaches. Grasping the long awaited arrival of collaborative primary health care will also require delivery system and payment reform. Until that happens, there is an abundance of work to be done envisioning new collaborative training programs and initiating a nation-wide effort to motivate and reeducate our colleagues. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Challenges at the Intersection of Energy, Economy, Environment, & Security and the Role of the Defense Sector in Addressing Them

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-29

economies need in ways that are imperiling  the  climate  its environment needs. 2 The climate - change dimension • Global climate is changing rapidly compared...cloudy & clear • humid & dry • drizzles & downpours • snowfall, snowpack, & snowmelt • breezes, blizzards, tornadoes, & typhoons Climate change means...droughts • heat waves • pest outbreaks • coastal erosion • coral bleaching events • power of typhoons & hurricanes • geographic range of tropical pathogens

Air Quality Procedures for Civilian Airports and Air Force Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

s) - phase j (s) 6. aact approach INO a. P Propotion of Vehicles thate ftop. 6. i, rwlash of veh..iclaes -ha -w -per 7 Ni ~Averiq. ow-o o.vecls funn...light winlolowing from land to a large body of water at night due to temperature differences between land and water. I--. Lead This is a heavy metal...8217 . . ... ’•’. , ’ ’. -. . . . .i. .i .i -’’ Sea Breeze A light wind blowing from a large body of water to surrounding land areas during the day due to temperature differences

Lessons Learned from the Use of the Machine Gun during the Russo-Japanese War and the Application of Those Lessons by the Protagonists of World War I

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-17

defense, where they threw themselves panting into pits that their own artillery had torn .”20 Another said of these same guns, “Nothing can stand...Nineteenth Century, trans. Gordon E. Smith (Gulf Breeze, FL: Academic International Press, 1996 ), 185. 10Ibid., 109. 11Menning, Bayonets Before...the man most directly responsible for creating these expert shooters , Major N. R. McMahon, chief instructor at the Hythe School of Musketry, did not

33 CFR 334.775 - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... from the position latitude 30°20′44″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. (near the Naval Air Station, due south of the Officer′s Club) to position latitude 30°20′09″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. thence 94° T to position latitude 30°20′07″ N., longitude 87°16′41″ W., thence 49° T to position latitude 30°20′37″ N...

33 CFR 334.775 - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... from the position latitude 30°20′44″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. (near the Naval Air Station, due south of the Officer′s Club) to position latitude 30°20′09″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. thence 94° T to position latitude 30°20′07″ N., longitude 87°16′41″ W., thence 49° T to position latitude 30°20′37″ N...

33 CFR 334.775 - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Fla.; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... from the position latitude 30°20′44″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. (near the Naval Air Station, due south of the Officer′s Club) to position latitude 30°20′09″ N., longitude 87°17′18″ W. thence 94° T to position latitude 30°20′07″ N., longitude 87°16′41″ W., thence 49° T to position latitude 30°20′37″ N...

On the sensitivity of mesoscale models to surface-layer parameterization constants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.; Pielke, R. A.

1989-09-01

The Colorado State University standard mesoscale model is used to evaluate the sensitivity of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) fields to differences in surface-layer parameterization “constants”. Such differences reflect the range in the published values of the von Karman constant, Monin-Obukhov stability functions and the temperature roughness length at the surface. The sensitivity of 1D boundary-layer structure, and 2D sea-breeze intensity, is generally less than that found in published comparisons related to turbulence closure schemes generally.

DOE ZERH Case Study: Charles Thomas Homes, Anna Model, Omaha, NE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

none,

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning custom home in the cold climate that got a HERS 48 without PV, with 2x6 24” on center walls with R-23 blown fiberglass, ocsf at rim joists, basement with plus 2x4 stud walls with R-23 blown fiberglass, with R-20 around slab, R-38 under slab; a vented attic with R-100 blown cellulose; 95% AFUE furnace, 14 SEER AC, ERV; heat pump water heater.