Primary Carcinoid Tumor of the Prostatic Urethra: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction/Objective

We report a case of a 72-year-old male with a past medical history of previously treated urothelial cell carcinoma without recurrence in over ten years.

Methods/Case Report

Surveillance cystoscopy revealed a small lesion involving the prostatic urethra. Microscopic examination of the prostatic urethra lesion revealed a proliferation of pseudoglandular structures within the lamina propria adjacent to an area of urothelial cystitis cystica et glandularis. The pseudoglandular structures contained primarily small bland nuclei with fine chromatin and featured frequent intracytoplasmic neuroendocrine granules. Scattered foci of enlarged hyperchromatic nuclei were present, but no necrosis or increased mitotic activity was identified. Immunohistochemistry revealed the lesional cells were diffusely positive for chromogranin and synaptophysin; while negative for GATA3 and NKX3.1. The histologic features and immunoprofile are characteristic of primary carcinoid tumor of the prostatic urethra, which uniquely shows a predominantly pseudoglandular architecture compared to carcinoid tumors of other sites and are often associated with reactive urothelial proliferations.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA.

Conclusion

Acknowledgement of this rare entity as a diagnostic mimicker is critical to ensure proper treatment and management of the patient.

Erratum: Azimuthal Anisotropy of K_{S}^{0} and Λ+Λ[over ¯] Production at Midrapidity from Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=130 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 132301 (2002)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.132301.

Erratum: Azimuthal Anisotropy at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider: The First and Fourth Harmonics [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 062301 (2004)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.062301.

A "Global Safety Net" to reverse biodiversity loss and stabilize Earth's climate

Global strategies to halt the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change are often formulated separately, even though they are interdependent and risk failure if pursued in isolation. The Global Safety Net maps how expanded nature conservation addresses both overarching threats. We identify 50% of the terrestrial realm that, if conserved, would reverse further biodiversity loss, prevent CO₂ emissions from land conversion, and enhance natural carbon removal. This framework shows that, beyond the 15.1% land area currently protected, 35.3% of land area is needed to conserve additional sites of particular importance for biodiversity and stabilize the climate. Fifty ecoregions and 20 countries contribute disproportionately to proposed targets. Indigenous lands overlap extensively with the Global Safety Net. Conserving the Global Safety Net could support public health by reducing the potential for zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 from emerging in the future.

Performance of Young Children in Rural Guatemala on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning

Objective

The literature supports using tests developed in high-income countries to assess children in low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) when carefully translated, adapted, and applied (Holding et al., 2018; Mitchell et al., 2017). Research has shown the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) to have adequate validity and sensitivity when used in LMICs (Bangirana et al., 2014; Koura et al., 2013), as well as equivalency to the American normative sample in lower risk populations (Bornman et al., 2010). Here, we describe the pattern of MSEL results in rural Guatemala.

Participants and Method

Children (n = 842; M enrollment age = 15.9 months; range 0-5 years) enrolled in an observational study of postnatal Zika exposure in rural Guatemala were administered an adapted and translated version of the MSEL (Connery et al., in press). To date, 352 children completed one, 393 children completed two, and 97 children completed three MSELs, for a total of 1,429 administrations.

Results

MSEL composite scores were similar to the American normative sample in children <12 months (M = 93.3, SD = 11.1), but lower for children ages 1-5 years (mean = 71.1, SD = 15.1, p < 0.0001). Moreover, lower scores were observed in children ages 1-5 years for all MSEL subscales, with the largest differences observed in receptive language (<12 years: mean = 47.8, SD = 7.1; 1-5 years: mean = 35.1, SD = 10.0, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Results are consistent with research that demonstrates a widening gap in test performance over time between children from higher and lower risk communities (Fernald et al., 2011; Paxson et al., 2005; Schady et al., 2015). Although findings are not meant to diagnose individual children, they highlight population changes in neurodevelopmental skills and the need for a better understanding of developmental patterns in LMICs. Future analyses will evaluate the impact of developmental risk factors over time and the performance of the MSEL in this population.

References

Bangirana, P., Opoka, R. O., Boivin, M. J., Idro, R., Hodges, J. S., Romero, R. A., … John, C. C. (2014). Severe Malarial Anemia is Associated With Long-term Neurocognitive Impairment. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 59(3), 336–344. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciu293. Bornman, J., Sevcik, R. A., Romski, M., & Pae, H. K. (2010). Successfully Translating Language and Culture when Adapting Assessment Measures, ppi_254 111.118. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1741-1130.2010.00254.x. Fernald, L. C. H., Weber, A., Galasso, E., & Ratsifandrihamanana, L. (2011). Socioeconomic gradients and child development in a very low income population: Evidence from Madagascar. Developmental Science, 14(4), 832–847. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.01032.x. Holding, P., Anum, A., van de Vijver, F. J. R., Vokhiwa, M., Bugase, N., Hossen, T., … Gomes, M. (2018). Can we measure cognitive constructs consistently within and across cultures? Evidence from a test battery in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Tanzania. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 7(1), 1-13 https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2016.1206823. Koura, K. G., Boivin, M. J., Davidson, L. L., Ouédraogo, S., Zoumenou, R., Alao, M. J., … Bodeau-Livinec, F. (2013). Usefulness of child development assessments for low-resource settings in francophone Africa. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP, 34(7), 486–93. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0b013e31829d211c. Mitchell, J. M., Tomlinson, M., Bland, R. M., Houle, B., Stein, A., & Rochat, T. J. (2017). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman assessment battery in a sample of primary school-aged children in rural South Africa. South African Journal of Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246317741822. Paxson, C., Schady, N., Izquierdo, S., León, M., Lucio, R., Ponce, J., … Hall, W. (2005). Cognitive Development among Young Children in Ecuador The Roles of Wealth, Health, and Parenting. Retrieved from http://econ.worldbank.org. Schady, N., Behrman, J., Araujo, M. C., Azuero, R., Bernal, R., Bravo, D., … Vakis, R. (2015). Wealth gradients in early childhood cognitive development in five Latin American countries. The Journal of Human Resources, 50(2), 446–463. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25983344.

A Global Deal For Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets

The Global Deal for Nature (GDN) is a time-bound, science-driven plan to save the diversity and abundance of life on Earth. Pairing the GDN and the Paris Climate Agreement would avoid catastrophic climate change, conserve species, and secure essential ecosystem services. New findings give urgency to this union: Less than half of the terrestrial realm is intact, yet conserving all native ecosystems-coupled with energy transition measures-will be required to remain below a 1.5°C rise in average global temperature. The GDN targets 30% of Earth to be formally protected and an additional 20% designated as climate stabilization areas, by 2030, to stay below 1.5°C. We highlight the 67% of terrestrial ecoregions that can meet 30% protection, thereby reducing extinction threats and carbon emissions from natural reservoirs. Freshwater and marine targets included here extend the GDN to all realms and provide a pathway to ensuring a more livable biosphere.

Atomic-scale age resolution of planetary events

Resolving the timing of crustal processes and meteorite impact events is central to understanding the formation, evolution and habitability of planetary bodies. However, identifying multi-stage events from complex planetary materials is highly challenging at the length scales of current isotopic techniques. Here we show that accurate U-Pb isotopic analysis of nanoscale domains of baddeleyite can be achieved by atom probe tomography. Within individual crystals of highly shocked baddeleyite from the Sudbury impact structure, three discrete nanostructural domains have been isolated yielding average ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 2,436±94 Ma (protolith crystallization) from homogenous-Fe domains, 1,852±45 Ma (impact) from clustered-Fe domains and 1,412±56 Ma (tectonic metamorphism) from planar and subgrain boundary structures. Baddeleyite is a common phase in terrestrial, Martian, Lunar and asteroidal materials, meaning this atomic-scale approach holds great potential in establishing a more accurate chronology of the formation and evolution of planetary crusts.

Constraining the timing of crustal processes and impact events remains challenging. Here, the authors show that atom probe tomography can produce highly accurate U-Pb isotopic age constraints in baddeleyite crystals, which is a common phase in terrestrial, Martian, Lunar and asteroidal materials.

Do Recipients of an Association-Sponsored Quality Award Program Experience Better Quality Outcomes Compared With Other Nursing Facilities Across the United States?

BACKGROUND

This study explores the relationship between recipients of an association-sponsored Quality Award Program and select measures of quality in U.S. nursing facilities, examined both cross-sectionally and over time.

METHOD

Data used came from Quality Award Program recipients over 9 years (2003-2011) and a set of quality indicators from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) database. These data were analyzed using a variety of multivariate regression techniques.

RESULTS

Cross-sectionally, the award recipients demonstrated higher performance on most of the quality indicators, compared with both the broader field of nursing facilities and also a more stringent comparison group of facilities. Comparing quality from the 4 years before the award was received to the 4 years after the award, the majority of quality indicators demonstrated improvement in those facilities receiving an award.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that, in general, the nursing facilities that participate in and receive the Silver or Gold American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) National Quality Award perform at a higher level of quality for residents and sustain that heightened performance over a period of time.

Pressure balance cross-calibration method using a pressure transducer as transfer standard

Piston gauges or pressure balances are widely used to realize the SI unit of pressure, the pascal, and to calibrate pressure sensing devices. However, their calibration is time consuming and requires a lot of technical expertise. In this paper, we propose an alternate method of performing a piston gauge cross calibration that incorporates a pressure transducer as an immediate in-situ transfer standard. For a sufficiently linear transducer, the requirement to exactly balance the weights on the two pressure gauges under consideration is greatly relaxed. Our results indicate that this method can be employed without a significant increase in measurement uncertainty. Indeed, in the test case explored here, our results agreed with the traditional method within standard uncertainty, which was less than 6 parts per million.

Effectiveness and safety of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in patients with previous laminectomy

PURPOSE

To determine the efficacy and safety of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for revision lumbar spine surgery in patients with previous laminectomy. The secondary objective was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome after such a procedure.

METHODS

Retrospective case series study. Eighty-two patients were included. There were 48 women (58.5 %) and 34 men (41.5 %) with a mean age of 51 years (range 26-84) at the time of index procedure. The outpatient and inpatient charts were reviewed to identify patients' demographic data, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data. The outcome measures were assessed by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain. An independent spine surgeon and musculoskeletal radiologist reviewed the imaging studies.

RESULTS

The average operative time was 160 min (range 131-250). The average estimated blood loss was 652 cc (100-1,400 cc). Nineteen patients (23.1 %) required blood transfusion. Five patients (6 %) had dural tear. One patient (1.2 %) had a surgical site infection. Two patients (2.4 %) had thromboembolic events. The average hospital stay was 3.8 days (2-5 days). At a mean follow-up of 28 months, there were statically significant improvement in the ODI and VAS for back and leg pain. None of the patients' radiographs showed hardware failure or pedicle screw loosening and no patient returned to the operating room for pseudarthrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study confirmed that TLIF approach in patients with previous laminectomy is effective and safe with good outcomes.

Risk factors for mortality in Malawian children with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis co-infection

SETTING

A large urban pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

OBJECTIVE

To identify demographic and clinical risk factors for mortality in children co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected children (aged <18 years) enrolled between October 2004 and October 2010 with at least one current or historical TB diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1561 patients met the inclusion criteria, representing 32% of patients ever enrolled. Median age at TB diagnosis was 3.8 years (interquartile range 1.5-7.4); 60.9% had severe immune suppression and 47.6% of those with available data had some degree of acute malnutrition at TB diagnosis. Of the 1113 patients with known outcomes, 225 (20.2%) died. Children with TB-HIV co-infection not initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at any time were 8.8 times more likely to die compared to those initiated on ART 0-2 months after initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment (adjusted OR 8.83, 95%CI 4.42-17.63). Severe immunosuppression and World Health Organization Stage IV were also associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric TB-HIV co-infection is common and mortality is high in this cohort of Malawian children. Prompt initiation of ART should be emphasized in this high-risk patient population.

Measurement of J/ψ azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV

The measurement of J/ψ azimuthal anisotropy is presented as a function of transverse momentum for different centralities in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The measured J/ψ elliptic flow is consistent with zero within errors for transverse momentum between 2 and 10 GeV/c. Our measurement suggests that J/ψ particles with relatively large transverse momenta are not dominantly produced by coalescence from thermalized charm quarks, when comparing to model calculations.

Observation of an energy-dependent difference in elliptic flow between particles and antiparticles in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Elliptic flow (v(2)) values for identified particles at midrapidity in Au + Au collisions, measured by the STAR experiment in the beam energy scan at RHIC at sqrt[s(NN)] = 7.7-62.4 GeV, are presented. A beam-energy-dependent difference of the values of v(2) between particles and corresponding antiparticles was observed. The difference increases with decreasing beam energy and is larger for baryons compared to mesons. This implies that, at lower energies, particles and antiparticles are not consistent with the universal number-of-constituent-quark scaling of v(2) that was observed at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV.

Directed flow of identified particles in Au+Au collisions at √[SNN]=200 GeV at RHIC

STAR's measurements of directed flow (v1) around midrapidity for π±, K±, KS0, p, and p[over ¯] in Au+Au collisions at √[sNN]=200  GeV are presented. A negative v1(y) slope is observed for most of produced particles (π±, K±, KS0, and p[over ¯]). In 5%-30% central collisions, a sizable difference is present between the v1(y) slope of protons and antiprotons, with the former being consistent with zero within errors. The v1 excitation function is presented. Comparisons to model calculations (RQMD, UrQMD, AMPT, QGSM with parton recombination, and a hydrodynamics model with a tilted source) are made. For those models which have calculations of v1 for both pions and protons, none of them can describe v1(y) for pions and protons simultaneously. The hydrodynamics model with a tilted source as currently implemented cannot explain the centrality dependence of the difference between the v1(y) slopes of protons and antiprotons.

Identified hadron compositions in p+p and Au+Au collisions at high transverse momenta at √S(NN)=200 GeV

We report transverse momentum (p(T)≤15  GeV/c) spectra of π(±), K(±), p, p[over ¯], K(S)(0), and ρ(0) at midrapidity in p+p and Au+Au collisions at √S(NN)=200  GeV. Perturbative QCD calculations are consistent with π(±) spectra in p+p collisions but do not reproduce K and p(p[over ¯]) spectra. The observed decreasing antiparticle-to-particle ratios with increasing p(T) provide experimental evidence for varying quark and gluon jet contributions to high-p(T) hadron yields. The relative hadron abundances in Au+Au at p(T)≳8  GeV/c are measured to be similar to the p+p results, despite the expected Casimir effect for parton energy loss.

Strangeness enhancement in Cu-Cu and Au-Au collisions at √S(NN)=200 GeV

We report new STAR measurements of midrapidity yields for the Λ, Λ[over ¯], K(S)(0), Ξ(-), Ξ[over ¯](+), Ω(-), Ω[over ¯](+) particles in Cu+Cu collisions at √S(NN)==200  GeV, and midrapidity yields for the Λ, Λ[over ¯], K(S)(0) particles in Au+Au at √S(NN)==200  GeV. We show that, at a given number of participating nucleons, the production of strange hadrons is higher in Cu+Cu collisions than in Au+Au collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. We find that aspects of the enhancement factors for all particles can be described by a parametrization based on the fraction of participants that undergo multiple collisions.

Measurement of the parity-violating longitudinal single-spin asymmetry for W± boson production in polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 500 GeV

We report the first measurement of the parity-violating single-spin asymmetries for midrapidity decay positrons and electrons from W+ and W- boson production in longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 500 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured asymmetries, A(L)(W+) = -0.27 ± 0.10(stat.) ± 0.02(syst.) ± 0.03(norm.) and A(L)(W-) = 0.14 ± 0.19(stat.) ± 0.02(syst.) ± 0.01(norm.), are consistent with theory predictions, which are large and of opposite sign. These predictions are based on polarized quark and antiquark distribution functions constrained by polarized deep-inelastic scattering measurements.

Gene expression and mutation assessment provide clues of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in liver tumors of oxazepam-exposed mice

Liver tumors from a previous National Toxicology Program study were examined using global gene expression and mutation analysis to define the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in mice exposed to oxazepam. Five hepatocellular adenomas and 5 hepatocellular carcinomas from male B6C3F1 mice exposed to 5000 ppm oxazepam and 6 histologically normal liver samples from control animals were examined. One of the major findings in the study was upregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Genes that activate β-catenin, such as Sox4, were upregulated, whereas genes that inhibit Wnt signaling, such as APC and Crebbp, were downregulated. In addition, liver tumors from oxazepam-exposed mice displayed β-catenin mutations and increased protein expression of glutamine synthetase, a downstream target in the Wnt signaling pathway. Another important finding in this study was the altered expression of oxidative stress-related genes, specifically increased expression of cytochrome p450 genes, including Cyp1a2 and Cyp2b10, and decreased expression of genes that protect against oxidative stress, such as Sod2 and Cat. Increased oxidative stress was confirmed by measuring isoprostane expression using mass spectrometry. Furthermore, global gene expression identified altered expression of genes that are associated with epigenetic mechanisms of cancer. There was decreased expression of genes that are hypermethylated in human liver cancer, including tumor suppressors APC and Pten. Oxazepam-induced tumors also exhibited decreased expression of genes involved in DNA methylation (Crebbp, Dnmt3b) and histone modification (Sirt1). These data suggest that formation of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in oxazepam-exposed mice involves alteration of the Wnt signaling pathway, oxidative stress, and potential epigenetic alterations.

Measurement of the bottom quark contribution to nonphotonic electron production in p + p collisions at √s=200 GeV

The contribution of B meson decays to nonphotonic electrons, which are mainly produced by the semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor mesons, in p + p collisions at √s=200  GeV has been measured using azimuthal correlations between nonphotonic electrons and hadrons. The extracted B decay contribution is approximately 50% at a transverse momentum of pT≥5  GeV/c. These measurements constrain the nuclear modification factor for electrons from B and D meson decays. The result indicates that B meson production in heavy ion collisions is also suppressed at high pT.

Proteomic analysis of bovine nucleolus

Nucleolus is the most prominent subnuclear structure, which performs a wide variety of functions in the eukaryotic cellular processes. In order to understand the structural and functional role of the nucleoli in bovine cells, we analyzed the proteomic composition of the bovine nucleoli. The nucleoli were isolated from Madin Darby bovine kidney cells and subjected to proteomic analysis by LC-MS/MS after fractionation by SDS-PAGE and strong cation exchange chromatography. Analysis of the data using the Mascot database search and the GPM database search identified 311 proteins in the bovine nucleoli, which contained 22 proteins previously not identified in the proteomic analysis of human nucleoli. Analysis of the identified proteins using the GoMiner software suggested that the bovine nucleoli contained proteins involved in ribosomal biogenesis, cell cycle control, transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation, transport, and structural organization.

Higher moments of net proton multiplicity distributions at RHIC

We report the first measurements of the kurtosis (κ), skewness (S), and variance (σ2) of net-proton multiplicity (Np-Np) distributions at midrapidity for Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, and 200 GeV corresponding to baryon chemical potentials (μB) between 200 and 20 MeV. Our measurements of the products κσ2 and Sσ, which can be related to theoretical calculations sensitive to baryon number susceptibilities and long-range correlations, are constant as functions of collision centrality. We compare these products with results from lattice QCD and various models without a critical point and study the square root of s(NN) dependence of κσ2. From the measurements at the three beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for μB below 200 MeV.

Three-particle coincidence of the long range pseudorapidity correlation in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions

We report the first three-particle coincidence measurement in pseudorapidity (Δη) between a high transverse momentum (p⊥) trigger particle and two lower p⊥ associated particles within azimuth |Δϕ|<0.7 in square root of s(NN)=200 GeV d+Au and Au+Au collisions. Charge ordering properties are exploited to separate the jetlike component and the ridge (long range Δη correlation). The results indicate that the correlation of ridge particles are uniform not only with respect to the trigger particle but also between themselves event by event in our measured Δη. In addition, the production of the ridge appears to be uncorrelated to the presence of the narrow jetlike component.

Azimuthal charged-particle correlations and possible local strong parity violation

Parity-odd domains, corresponding to nontrivial topological solutions of the QCD vacuum, might be created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions. These domains are predicted to lead to charge separation of quarks along the system's orbital momentum axis. We investigate a three-particle azimuthal correlator which is a P even observable, but directly sensitive to the charge separation effect. We report measurements of charged hadrons near center-of-mass rapidity with this observable in Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions at square root of s(NN) = 200 GeV using the STAR detector. A signal consistent with several expectations from the theory is detected. We discuss possible contributions from other effects that are not related to parity violation.

Growth of long range forward-backward multiplicity correlations with centrality in Au + Au collisions at square root of sNN = 200 GeV

Forward-backward multiplicity correlation strengths have been measured with the STAR detector for Au + Au and p + p collisions at square root of s(NN) = 200 GeV. Strong short- and long-range correlations (LRC) are seen in central Au + Au collisions. The magnitude of these correlations decrease with decreasing centrality until only short-range correlations are observed in peripheral Au + Au collisions. Both the dual parton model (DPM) and the color glass condensate (CGC) predict the existence of the long-range correlations. In the DPM, the fluctuation in the number of elementary (parton) inelastic collisions produces the LRC. In the CGC, longitudinal color flux tubes generate the LRC. The data are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the DPM and indicate the presence of multiple parton interactions.

K/pi Fluctuations at relativistic energies

We report K/pi fluctuations from Au + Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]= 19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. K/pi fluctuations in central collisions show little dependence on incident energy and are on the same order as those from NA49 at the Super Proton Synchrotron in central Pb + Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=12.3 and 17.3 GeV. We report results for the collision centrality dependence of K/pi fluctuations and results for charge-separated fluctuations. We observe that the K/pi fluctuations scale with the charged particle multiplicity density.

Observation of two-source interference in the photoproduction reaction AuAu --> AuAurho0

In ultraperipheral relativistic heavy-ion collisions, a photon from the electromagnetic field of one nucleus can fluctuate to a quark-antiquark pair and scatter from the other nucleus, emerging as a rho{0}. The rho{0} production occurs in two well-separated (median impact parameters of 20 and 40 F for the cases considered here) nuclei, so the system forms a two-source interferometer. At low transverse momenta, the two amplitudes interfere destructively, suppressing rho{0} production. Since the rho{0} decays before the production amplitudes from the two sources can overlap, the two-pion system can only be described with an entangled nonlocal wave function, and is thus an example of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. We observe this suppression in 200 GeV per nucleon-pair gold-gold collisions. The interference is 87%+/-5%(stat.)+/-8%(syst.) of the expected level. This translates into a limit on decoherence due to wave function collapse or other factors of 23% at the 90% confidence level.

Indications of conical emission of charged hadrons at the BNL relativistic heavy ion collider

Three-particle azimuthal correlation measurements with a high transverse momentum trigger particle are reported for pp, d+Au, and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV by the STAR experiment. Dijet structures are observed in pp, d+Au and peripheral Au+Au collisions. An additional structure is observed in central Au+Au data, signaling conical emission of correlated charged hadrons. The conical emission angle is found to be theta=1.37+/-0.02(stat)-0.07+0.06(syst), independent of p_{ perpendicular}.

System-size independence of directed flow measured at the BNL relativistic heavy-ion collider

We measure directed flow (v_{1}) for charged particles in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 and 62.4 GeV, as a function of pseudorapidity (eta), transverse momentum (p_{t}), and collision centrality, based on data from the STAR experiment. We find that the directed flow depends on the incident energy but, contrary to all available model implementations, not on the size of the colliding system at a given centrality. We extend the validity of the limiting fragmentation concept to v_{1} in different collision systems, and investigate possible explanations for the observed sign change in v_{1}(p_{t}).

Forward neutral-pion transverse single-spin asymmetries in p + p collisions at sqrt[s] = 200 GeV

We report precision measurements of the Feynman x (xF) dependence, and first measurements of the transverse momentum (pT) dependence, of transverse single-spin asymmetries for the production of pi0 mesons from polarized proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 200 GeV. The xF dependence of the results is in fair agreement with perturbative QCD model calculations that identify orbital motion of quarks and gluons within the proton as the origin of the spin effects. Results for the pT dependence at fixed xF are not consistent with these same perturbative QCD-based calculations.

Longitudinal double-spin asymmetry for inclusive jet production in p[over -->] + p[over -->] collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

We report a new STAR measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A(LL) for inclusive jet production at midrapidity in polarized p + p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=200 GeV. The data, which cover jet transverse momenta 5<p(T)<30 GeV/c, are substantially more precise than previous measurements. They provide significant new constraints on the gluon spin contribution to the nucleon spin through the comparison to predictions derived from one global fit to polarized deep-inelastic scattering measurements.

Measurement of transverse single-spin asymmetries for Dijet production in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of the opening angle distribution between pairs of jets produced in high-energy collisions of transversely polarized protons. The measurement probes (Sivers) correlations between the transverse spin orientation of a proton and the transverse momentum directions of its partons. With both beams polarized, the wide pseudorapidity (-1< or = eta < or = +2) coverage for jets permits separation of Sivers functions for the valence and sea regions. The resulting asymmetries are all consistent with zero and considerably smaller than Sivers effects observed in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. We discuss theoretical attempts to reconcile the new results with the sizable transverse spin effects seen in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and forward hadron production in pp collisions.

Partonic Flow and phi-Meson production in Au+Au collisions at sqrt radical sNN = 200 GeV

We present first measurements of the phi-meson elliptic flow (v2(pT)) and high-statistics pT distributions for different centralities from radical sNN=200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. In minimum bias collisions the v2 of the phi meson is consistent with the trend observed for mesons. The ratio of the yields of the Omega to those of the phi as a function of transverse momentum is consistent with a model based on the recombination of thermal s quarks up to pT approximately 4 GeV/c, but disagrees at higher momenta. The nuclear modification factor (R CP) of phi follows the trend observed in the K S 0 mesons rather than in Lambda baryons, supporting baryon-meson scaling. These data are consistent with phi mesons in central Au+Au collisions being created via coalescence of thermalized s quarks and the formation of a hot and dense matter with partonic collectivity at RHIC.

Calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE1) splice variants from bovine cardiac muscle

Calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phopshodiesterase (PDE1) has been extensively characterized and is a key enzyme involved in the complex interaction between cyclic nucleotide and Ca(2+) second-messenger systems. It is well established that PDE1 exists in different isozymes. For example, bovine brain tissue has two PDE1 isozymes (PDE1A2 and PDE1B1) whereas only one form (PDE1A1) is reported in bovine cardiac tissue. In this study, we report the cloning of two cDNA splice variants of PDE1: PDE1-small and PDE1-large, from bovine cardiac tissue. Their amino acid sequence similarity to PDE1 sequences from other mammalian species showed that all are very conserved, suggesting their importance in cellular functions. Interestingly, compared to other mammalian species, bovine PDE1A, PDE-small and PDE-large show a deletion at the C-terminal end of the catalytic domain of the gene. Although the significance of this deletion at this crucial location of the gene is not known, we have successfully over-expressed both PDE1-small and PDE1-large splice variants in E. coli and these splice variants are characterized in terms of Western blot, biotinylated calmodulin overlay and peptide mass fingerprinting. Results from these studies suggested that these two splice variants belong to the PDE1 superfamily. To our knowledge, this is the first report on cloning and characterization of these cDNA variants from bovine cardiac tissue. Since there are at least two isoforms of PDE1 in bovine heart tissue, this merits further in-depth study.