Onset patterns in a simple model of localized parametric forcing

We investigate pattern selection at onset in a parametrically and inhomogeneously forced partial differential equation obtained by generalizing Mathieu's equation to include spatial interactions. No separation of scales is assumed. The proposed model is directly relevant to the case of parametrically forced surface waves, such as cross-waves, excited by the horizontal vibration of a fluid, where the forcing is localized to a finite region near the endwall or wavemaker. The availability of analytical solutions in the limit of piecewise constant forcing allows us investigate in detail the dependence of selected eigenfunctions on spatial detuning, forcing width, damping, boundary conditions, and container size. A wide range of onset patterns are located and described, many of which are rotated, modulated, or both, and deviate far from simple crosswise oriented standing waves. The linear selection mechanisms governing this multiplicity of potential onset patterns are discussed.

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.

Response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) retreatment after a drug-free interval in EGFR-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with acquired resistance

7525

Background: Patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC and sensitizing EGFR mutations who initially respond to gefitinib or erlotinib eventually develop acquired resistance to the TKIs. Anecdotal and retrospective reports suggest that EGFR-TKI resistant cancers can respond again to gefitinib or erlotinib after an interval off the TKI. This retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the impact of EGFR-TKI retreatment after a drug-free interval in EGFR mutant NSCLC with acquired resistance to gefitinib or erlotinib. Methods: Pts with stage IV or relapsed NSCLC with sensitizing EGFR mutations and acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI seen at the DFCI/MGH between 8/00 and 8/11 who were retreated with single agent gefitinib or erlotinib after an EGFR-TKI-free interval were identified from a prospective trial. The objective tumor response (CR, PR, SD, PD) was determined using RECIST 1.1. Results: 19 pts were eligible and had adequate scans for radiographic assessments after the reinstitution of an EGFR-TKI. The response rate and median PFS to the initial course of gefitinib (n=4) or erlotinib (n=15) were 16/19 (84%) and 9.8 months (95% CI, 7.8-11.3) respectively. All pts were retreated with erlotinib after 1 to 4 intervening systemic regimens. The median interval from EGFR-TKI discontinuation to erlotinib retreatment was 11 months (range, 2-46). 4 of the 19 pts (21%) had PD as the best response to erlotinib retreatment, 14 (74%) had SD for at least 1 month, and 1 (5%) had a PR. The median PFS was 4.4 months (95% CI, 3.0-6.7). 3 pts remained on erlotinib without progression for 6 months. 3 pts had their tumors rebiopsied before (n=2) or during (n=1) erlotinib retreatment; 1 of the 3 had EGFR T790M in association with the initial sensitizing EGFR mutation, and another had a secondary PIK3CA mutation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that erlotinib retreatment is an option for EGFR mutated NSCLC with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI after a drug-free interval and progression on intervening therapy. Additional advanced NSCLC pts without a documented EGFR mutation who fulfill the clinical definition of acquired resistance are undergoing review to expand our cohort.

Clinical characteristics of KRAS mutations in NSCLC and their impact on outcomes to first-line chemotherapy

7588

Background: KRAS is one of the most commonly mutated oncogenes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While the impact of EGFR mutations and EML4-alk translocations has been well-described, there is limited information about the impact of these somatic mutations on response to chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the demographics and clinical outcomes of patients with KRAS mutations and compared these to patients who were KRAS wild-type (WT). Eligible pts received 1st-line IV chemo for stage IV NSCLC at DFCI and had known information about both KRAS and EGFR status. Since the biology and impact of EGFR mutations on response to chemo is well-described, we excluded such pts from the analysis. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) with first-line chemo; secondary endpoints included radiographic response rate (RR) and overall survival (OS). Results: Between 2/05 and 8/11, there were 63 eligible KRAS pts and 97 eligible WT pts. The groups were similar in age (median 65yrs in both groups), % female (K 62, WT 54) race (K 89% white/6% black, 5% other; WT 86% white,/6% black/8% other), histology (K 90%adeno/8% NSCLC NOS; WT 86% adeno/9%NSCLC NOS), and % of pts receiving 1/2/3 agents in 1st line (K 11/56/33; WT 18/53/30). KRAS pts were less likely to be never or light smokers (4% vs 33% for WT). Nonsmokers were more likely to harbor KRAS transition rather than transversion mutations (3 transition, 1 transversion), while the converse held for smokers (51 transversions, 8 transitions). Median PFS was similar for KRAS vs WT (K .65 vs WT 4.8 months, p=0.81). RR (29% for both groups), disease control rates (K 73% vs WT 78%), and median OS (K 13.5 vs WT 12.1 months, p=.525) were also similar. Outcomes of KRAS pts to 2nd line chemotherapy (PFS 2.2, OS 8.6) are similar to those seen for WT patients in this setting. There was no significant difference in outcomes based on gender, smoking status, drug received (pemetrexed-based vs taxane based), or specific KRAS genotype. Conclusions: Pts with KRAS mutations experience similar outcomes to standard chemotherapy as those who are wild-type for EGFR and KRAS. Going forward, these data can serve as a reference for control arms of KRAS-specific randomized trials.

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.

Development of an Evidence biochip array kit for the multiplex screening of more than 20 anthelmintic drugs

Anthelmintic drugs are used in clinical and veterinary practice for the treatment of infections caused by parasitic worms. Their extensive use in food-producing animals can cause the presence of residues in food. For consumer protection it is necessary to monitor the levels of anthelmintic residues to ensure that they remain within the legally permitted maximum acceptable concentrations. For this purpose, the use of multiplex screening methods is advantageous. Biochip array technology allows the simultaneous determination of multiple analytes from a single sample at a single point in time. This study reports the development of an Evidence biochip array for the multiplex screening of anthelmintic drugs. Simultaneous competitive chemiluminescent immunoassays are employed. The solid support and vessel is the biochip, which contains an array of discrete test sites. The assays were applied to the semiautomated bench-top analyser Evidence Investigator. The aminobenzimidazoles assay detected aminomebendazole, albendazole 2-aminosulphone and aminoflubendazole, the avermectins assay detected emamectin benzoate, eprinomectin, abamectin, ivermectin and doramectin, the benzimidazoles assay detected albendazole sulphone, albendazole, albendazole sulphoxide, oxibendazole, oxfendazole and flubendazole, the thiabendazole assay detected cambendazole, thiabendazole and 5-hydroxythiabendazole and the triclabendazole assay detected ketotriclabendazole, triclabendazole and triclabendazole sulphoxide. The limits of detection ranged from 0.3 ppb (aminobenzimidazoles) to 2.0 ppb (levamisole) in milk and from 0.15 ppb (aminobenzimidazoles) to 6.5 ppb (levamisole) in tissue. The average recovery range was 71-135 %. This multianalytical approach on a biochip platform is applicable to the screening of more than 20 anthelmintic drugs in different food matrices, leading to consolidation of tests and enhancement of the test result output.

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.

Scaling properties of weakly nonlinear coefficients in the Faraday problem

Interesting and exotic surface wave patterns have regularly been observed in the Faraday experiment. Although symmetry arguments provide a qualitative explanation for the selection of some of these patterns (e.g., superlattices), quantitative analysis is hindered by mathematical difficulties inherent in a time-dependent, free-boundary Navier-Stokes problem. More tractable low viscosity approximations are available, but these do not necessarily capture the moderate viscosity regime of the most interesting experiments. Here we focus on weakly nonlinear behavior and compare the scaling results derived from symmetry arguments in the low viscosity limit with the computed coefficients of appropriate amplitude equations using both the full Navier-Stokes equations and a reduced set of partial differential equations due to Zhang and Vinãls. We find the range of viscosities over which one can expect "low viscosity" theories to hold. We also find that there is an optimal viscosity range for locating superlattice patterns experimentally-large enough that the region of parameters giving stable patterns is not impracticably small, yet not so large that crucial resonance effects are washed out. These results help explain some of the discrepancies between theory and experiment.

Toward Growing III-V Clusters with Metalorganic Precursors

The present work reports on the formation of GaN-containing clusters from metalorganic precursors by combining pulsed laser photolysis and pulsed nozzle methods. Ammonia (NH3) and triethylgallium (C2H5)3Ga (TEG) or trimethylgallium (CH3)3Ga (TMG) with He, Ar, or N2 as the carrier gas are introduced into a high vacuum chamber via a specialized dual pulsed nozzle source. The light from an ArF excimer laser (193 nm, 23 ns FWHM) is focused into the mixing and reaction region of the nozzle source, and the products are then mass analyzed with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Efficient laser-assisted growth of (GaN)x-containing clusters is shown with this technique.

Oncology outpatient and provider responses to a computerized symptom assessment system

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To assess patient and provider responses to a computerized symptom assessment system.

DESIGN

Descriptive, longitudinal study with retrospective, longitudinal medical records review.

SETTING

University-based National Cancer Institute-designated outpatient cancer center.

SAMPLE

80 oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy, 8 providers, and 30 medical records.

METHODS

Patients completed the computerized assessment during three chemotherapy follow-up clinic appointments (times 1, 2, and 3). Patient usability was recorded via an observer checklist (ease of use) and the computer (completion time). Patient satisfaction and impact were assessed during telephone interviews two to three days after times 1 and 3 only. Provider usability and impact were assessed at the end of the study using a questionnaire and focus groups, whereas effect on provider documentation was assessed through chart audits.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Patient usability (ease of use, completion time), satisfaction, and impact; provider usability and impact.

FINDINGS

Patients reported good usability, high satisfaction, and modest impact on discussions with their providers. Providers reported modest usability, modest impact on discussions with patients, and had varied reactions as to how the system affected practice. Documentation of symptoms was largely absent before and after implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

This system demonstrated good usability and satisfaction but had only a modest impact on symptom-related discussions and no impact on documentation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

A computerized system can help address barriers to symptom assessment but may not improve documentation unless it can be integrated into existing medical records systems.

Faraday waves, streaming flow, and relaxation oscillations in nearly circular containers

Faraday waves near onset in an elliptical container are described by a third-order system of ordinary differential equations with characteristic slow-fast structure. These equations describe the interaction of standing waves with a weakly damped streaming flow driven by Reynolds stresses in boundary layers at the free surface and the rigid walls, and capture the proliferation with decreasing damping of periodic and nonperiodic relaxation oscillations observed near onset in previous simulations. These structures are the result of slow drift through symmetry-related Hopf bifurcations.

India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme: looking beyond detection and cure

SETTING

Pune District, Maharashtra State, India.

OBJECTIVES

To examine delays experienced by patients in accessing directly observed treatment.

DESIGN

Data were collected from 117 new sputum-positive patients using a semi-structured interview schedule.

RESULTS

Patient delays as well as diagnostic and treatment delays, which reflect the performance of a National TB Programme, were minimal. Provider delays, however, contributed significantly to delayed entry into India's Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). Patients had to resort to multiple contacts with providers due to limitations of these providers in diagnosing or directing patients to the RNTCP. Patients who consulted a private provider participating in the public-private mix (PPM) were more likely to be suspected (OR 2.63, 90% CI 1.04-6.64) and referred (OR 6.8, 95%CI 2.08-22.21) to the RNTCP. Once the patients entered the RNTCP, the response of the system was rapid, with diagnosis offered and treatment initiated within on average 7 days.

CONCLUSION

Interventions aimed at providers to encourage early suspicion and referral to the RNTCP, such as the PPM, are more important in improving patient access to TB care than those focusing on reducing patient delays.

Scaling properties of hyperon production in Au+Au collisions at square root [sNN]=200 GeV

We present the scaling properties of Lambda, Xi, and Omega in midrapidity Au+Au collisions at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV. The yield of multistrange baryons per participant nucleon increases from peripheral to central collisions more rapidly than that of Lambda, indicating an increase of the strange-quark density of the matter produced. The strange phase-space occupancy factor gamma_{s} approaches unity for the most central collisions. Moreover, the nuclear modification factors of p, Lambda, and Xi are consistent with each other for 2<p_{T}<5 GeV/c in agreement with a scenario of hadron formation from constituent quark degrees of freedom.

Transport of Escherichia coli bacteria through laboratory columns of glacial-outwash sediments: estimating model parameter values based on sediment characteristics

Bacterial transport through cores of intact, glacial-outwash aquifer sediment was investigated with the overall goal of better understanding bacterial transport and developing a predictive capability based on the sediment characteristics. Variability was great among the cores. Normalized maximum bacterial-effluent concentrations ranged from 5.4x10(-7) to 0.36 and effluent recovery ranged from 2.9x10(-4) to 59%. Bacterial breakthrough was generally rapid with a sharp peak occurring nearly twice as early as the bromide peak. Bacterial breakthrough exhibited a long tail of relatively constant concentration averaging three orders of magnitude less than the peak concentration for up to 32 pore volumes. The tails were consistent with non-equilibrium detachment, corroborated by the results of flow interruption experiments. Bacterial breakthrough was accurately simulated with a transport model incorporating advection, dispersion and first-order non-equilibrium attachment/detachment. Relationships among bacterial transport and sediment characteristics were explored with multiple regression analyses. These analyses indicated that for these cores and experimental conditions, easily-measurable sediment characteristics--median grain size, degree of sorting, organic-matter content and hydraulic conductivity--accounted for 66%, 61% and 89% of the core-to-core variability in the bacterial effective porosity, dispersivity and attachment-rate coefficient, respectively. In addition, the bacterial effective porosity, median grain size and organic-matter content accounted for 76% of the inter-core variability in the detachment-rate coefficient. The resulting regression equations allow prediction of bacterial transport based on sediment characteristics and are a possible alternative to using colloid-filtration theory. Colloid-filtration theory, used without the benefit of running bacterial transport experiments, did not as accurately replicate the observed variability in the attachment-rate coefficient.

Longitudinal double-spin asymmetry and cross section for inclusive jet production in polarized proton collisions at square root of s = 200 GeV

We report a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A(LL) and the differential cross section for inclusive midrapidity jet production in polarized proton collisions at square root of s = 200 GeV. The cross section data cover transverse momenta 5 < pT < 50 GeV/c and agree with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD evaluations. The A(LL) data cover 5 < pT < 17 GeV/c and disfavor at 98% C.L. maximal positive gluon polarization in the polarized nucleon.

Direct observation of dijets in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV

The STAR Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider reports measurements of azimuthal correlations of high transverse momentum (pT) charged hadrons in Au+Au collisions at higher pT than reported previously. As (pT) is increased, a narrow, back-to-back peak emerges above the decreasing background, providing a clear dijet signal for all collision centralities studied. Using these correlations, we perform a systematic study of dijet production and suppression in nuclear collisions, providing new constraints on the mechanisms underlying partonic energy loss in dense matter.

Identified baryon and meson distributions at large transverse momenta from Au + Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV

Transverse momentum spectra of pi+/-, p, and p up to 12 GeV/c at midrapidity in centrality selected Au + Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV are presented. In central Au + Au collisions, both pi +/- and p(p) show significant suppression with respect to binary scaling at pT approximately >4 GeV/c. Protons and antiprotons are less suppressed than pi+/-, in the range 1.5 approximately < pT approximately < 6 GeV/c. The pi-/pi+ and p/p ratios show at most a weak pT dependence and no significant centrality dependence. The p/pi ratios in central Au + Au collisions approach the values in p + p and d + Au collisions at pT approximately >5 GeV/c. The results at high pT indicate that the partonic sources of pi+/-, p, and p have similar energy loss when traversing the nuclear medium.

Forward neutral pion production in p + p and d + Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV

Measurements of the production of forward pi0 mesons from p + p and d + Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV are reported. The p + p yield generally agrees with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The d + Au yield per binary collision is suppressed as eta increases, decreasing to approximately 30% of the p + p yield at eta =4.00, well below shadowing expectations. Exploratory measurements of azimuthal correlations of the forward pi0 with charged hadrons at eta approximately 0 show a recoil peak in p + p that is suppressed in d + Au at low pion energy. These observations are qualitatively consistent with a saturation picture of the low-x gluon structure of heavy nuclei.

Strange baryon resonance production in sqrt s NN=200 GeV p+p and Au+Au collisions

We report the measurements of Sigma(1385) and Lambda(1520) production in p+p and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s{NN}]=200 GeV from the STAR Collaboration. The yields and the p(T) spectra are presented and discussed in terms of chemical and thermal freeze-out conditions and compared to model predictions. Thermal and microscopic models do not adequately describe the yields of all the resonances produced in central Au+Au collisions. Our results indicate that there may be a time span between chemical and thermal freeze-out during which elastic hadronic interactions occur.

Erlotinib-associated rash correlates with plasma levels at steady state

13008

Background: Erlotinib is a small molecule epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is approved for non-small cell lung cancer as a single agent and for pancreatic cancer in combination with gemcitabine. Significant inter-individual variation in drug exposure may explain differential patient outcomes. Genetic polymorphisms of metabolizing enzymes of erlotinib may explain this variability in exposure. Biotransformation assays have implicated cytochrome 3A4/5 (CYP3A4/5) as the predominant metabolizing enzyme. Methods: Patients were enrolled onto a phase-1 dose-escalation study of weekly docetaxel with fixed oral daily dosing (150 mg) of erlotinib. Pharmacodynamic data regarding grade of rash per CTCAE v. 2 were recorded on all 23 patients. Samples for erlotinib pharmacokinetics were obtained after 28 days of continuous daily dosing. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data was attained in 21 patients using LC/MS/MS and analyzed using noncompartmental analysis. Genomic DNA was available for analysis in all 23 patients. Analysis for single nucleotide polymorphisms CYP3A5*3 and CYP2D6*4 were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis when needed. Results: Average age of patients was 56 (34–76). Nine patients had grade 0–1 rash and 12 had grade 2 rash. As summarized in the table below, the AUC for patients exhibiting grade 2 rash was approximately twice that of patients with grade 0–1 rash. No significant association was found between PK parameters and either CYP3A5 or CYP2D6 polymorphisms. Conclusions: In patients treated with erlotinib the pharmacodynamic endpoint of rash, which has been previously linked with improved patient outcomes, is significantly correlated to the degree of exposure to the drug at steady state. Preliminary data in this small study analyzing pharmacogenetics of erlotinib found no significant correlation between CYP3A5*3 and CYP2D6*4 polymorphic status in either PK or pharmacodynamic measures.

[Table: see text]

[Table: see text]

Distributions of charged hadrons associated with high transverse momentum particles in pp and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV

Charged hadrons in [EQUATION: SEE TEXT] associated with particles of [EQUATION: SEE TEXT] are reconstructed in pp and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV. The associated multiplicity and p magnitude sum are found to increase from pp to central Au+Au collisions. The associated p distributions, while similar in shape on the nearside, are significantly softened on the awayside in central Au+Au relative to pp and not much harder than that of inclusive hadrons. The results, consistent with jet quenching, suggest that the awayside fragments approach equilibration with the medium traversed.

Multistrange Baryon elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions at square root of sNN=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of elliptic flow v2(pT) of multistrange baryons Xi- +Xi+ and Omega- + Omega+ in heavy-ion collisions. In minimum-bias Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=200 GeV, a significant amount of elliptic flow, comparable to other nonstrange baryons, is observed for multistrange baryons which are expected to be particularly sensitive to the dynamics of the partonic stage of heavy-ion collisions. The pT dependence of v2 of the multistrange baryons confirms the number of constituent quark scaling previously observed for lighter hadrons. These results support the idea that a substantial fraction of the observed collective motion is developed at the early partonic stage in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

Multiplicity and pseudorapidity distributions of photons in Au+Au collisions at square root of (S(NN)) = 62.4 GeV

We present the first measurement of pseudorapidity distribution of photons in the region 2.3 < or = eta < or = 3.7 for different centralities in Au+Au collisions at square root of (S(NN)) = 62.4 GeV. We find that the photon yield scales with the number of participating nucleons at all collision centralities studied. The pseudorapidity distribution of photons, dominated by pi0 decays, has been compared to those of charged pions, photons, and inclusive charged particles from heavy-ion and nucleon-nucleon collisions at various energies. The photon production has been shown to be consistent with the energy and centrality independent limiting fragmentation scenario.

Open charm yields in d+Au collisions at squareroot[sNN]=200 GeV

Midrapidity open charm spectra from direct reconstruction of D0(D0)-->K-/+pi+/- in d+Au collisions and indirect electron-positron measurements via charm semileptonic decays in p+p and d+Au collisions at squareroot[sNN]=200 GeV are reported. The D0(D0) spectrum covers a transverse momentum (pT) range of 0.1<pT<3 GeV/c, whereas the electron spectra cover a range of 1<pT<4 GeV/c. The electron spectra show approximate binary collision scaling between p+p and d+Au collisions. From these two independent analyses, the differential cross section per nucleon-nucleon binary interaction at midrapidity for open charm production from d+Au collisions at BNL RHIC is dsigma(NN)cc/dy=0.30+/-0.04(stat)+/-0.09(syst) mb. The results are compared to theoretical calculations. Implications for charmonium results in A+A collisions are discussed.

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in p + p and Au + Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au + Au collisions at square root s(NN)=200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au + Au collisions to those in p + p at the same energy. The elliptic anisotropy v(2) is found to reach its maximum at p(t) approximately 3 GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to p(t) approximately 7-10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-p(t) particle correlations for particles emitted out of plane compared to those emitted in plane. The centrality dependence of v(2) at intermediate p(t) is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.