Efficient Channel Attention Based Encoder–Decoder Approach for Image Captioning in Hindi

Image captioning refers to the process of generating a textual description that describes objects and activities present in a given image. It connects two fields of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and natural language processing. Computer vision and natural language processing deal with image understanding and language modeling, respectively. In the existing literature, most of the works have been carried out for image captioning in the English language. This article presents a novel method for image captioning in the Hindi language using encoder–decoder based deep learning architecture with efficient channel attention. The key contribution of this work is the deployment of an efficient channel attention mechanism with bahdanau attention and a gated recurrent unit for developing an image captioning model in the Hindi language. Color images usually consist of three channels, namely red, green, and blue. The channel attention mechanism focuses on an image’s important channel while performing the convolution, which is basically to assign higher importance to specific channels over others. The channel attention mechanism has been shown to have great potential for improving the efficiency of deep convolution neural networks (CNNs). The proposed encoder–decoder architecture utilizes the recently introduced ECA-NET CNN to integrate the channel attention mechanism. Hindi is the fourth most spoken language globally, widely spoken in India and South Asia; it is India’s official language. By translating the well-known MSCOCO dataset from English to Hindi, a dataset for image captioning in Hindi is manually created. The efficiency of the proposed method is compared with other baselines in terms of Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) scores, and the results obtained illustrate that the method proposed outperforms other baselines. The proposed method has attained improvements of 0.59%, 2.51%, 4.38%, and 3.30% in terms of BLEU-1, BLEU-2, BLEU-3, and BLEU-4 scores, respectively, with respect to the state-of-the-art. Qualities of the generated captions are further assessed manually in terms of adequacy and fluency to illustrate the proposed method’s efficacy.

Utility of serum Galactomannan in diagnosing COVID-19 patients with suspected IPA: an observational study in resource limited settings

OBJECTIVE

To study the utility of Galactomannan (GM) antigen as a screening marker for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The serum samples from patients with severe COVID-19 diseases admitted to the Critical Care Unit were collected on the 5th day of admission for GM screening. The samples were analysed by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and GM index of more than 1 was considered as positive. All GM positive patients were serially followed until discharge or death.

RESULTS

The GM was raised in serum of 12 out of 38 patients, indicating an incidence of possible COVID-19 associated IPA (CAPA) in 31.57% of patients. The median age of these CAPA patients was 56.5 years, males were significantly more affected than females. The inflammatory marker serum ferritin was raised in all 12 patients (median value of 713.74 ng/ml), while IL-6 was raised in 9 patients (median value of 54.13 ng/ml). None of these patients received antifungals. Their median length of hospital stay was 20 days (IQR: 12, 34 days). All these patients succumbed to the illness.

CONCLUSIONS

The serum GM appears to be sensitive diagnostic tool to identify early IPA in COVID-19 patients and pre-emptive antifungal therapy could play a role in salvaging these patients.

Management of Internal Disc Derangement Using Normal Saline and Sodium Hyaluronate: A Comparative Study

Background:

Arthrocentesis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the unadorned form of surgical therapy which comprises of lavage of inflammatory enzymes and mediators and improve joint mobility and eliminate pain by pressure of the lavage solution in the upper compartment of TMJ.

Objectives:

The current study was conducted to assess and compare the effectiveness of arthrocentesis with normal saline alone and in conjunction with sodium hyaluronate (SH) injection in the treatment of internal derangement of the TMJ.

Methodology:

Sixty patients with internal derangement of the TMJ were randomly divided into two equal groups; Group 1 was performed with normal saline and Group 2 with normal saline followed by 1 ml of SH. The patients were followed up after 1 week to check for any postoperative complications and 1, 2, and 3 months for subsequent sessions and changes in subjective and objective variables.

Results:

The increase in mouth opening from preoperative to 3 months' postoperatively was 4.9 mm for Group 1 and 6.43 mm for Group 2. The change in the pain score (visual analogue scale scale) in Group 1 from the preoperative session to 3 months' follow-up was 7.23–4.1 and in Group 2 was 7.36–3.7. The difference in clicking/popping in Group 1 from preoperative session to 3 months' follow-up was 2.43–1 and in Group 2 was 2.4–0.53.

Conclusion:

Patients refractory to conservative treatment showed promising results with arthrocentesis with SH than arthrocentesis alone in treatment of TMJ internal derangement.

Inter Maxillary Fixation Versus Open Reduction for the Treatment of Mandibular Condyle Fractures: A Comparative Evaluation

Background:

The treatment for fractured mandibular condyles aims at restoring the masticatory ability, occlusion, symmetry, and function as the bit were before the trauma. The treatment of the mandibular condylar fracture can be done based on the two protocols.

Aims:

The present clinical trial was conducted to collate aftertreatment upshot of closed treatment and open surgical treatment for mandibular condyle fractures.

Materials and Methods:

Forty-two patients were divided into two groups (n = 12) which were treated with either the closed reduction using intermaxillary fixation or open reduction and internal fixation. The following clinical parameters were assessed at 1^st and 3^rd day and at 1, 3, and 6 weeks: lateral excursion and protrusion, occlusion; interincisal opening, mandibular ramus height, deviation/deflection during jaw opening, and pain assessment using visual analog score. The collected data were subjected to statistical evaluation.

Results:

Interincisal opening was found to be 8.125 ± 0.3467 mm and 6.016 ± 0.1528 mm, respectively, for Group I and Group II which was statistically significant (P < 0.00001). At the 3 months and 6^th week postoperatively, it was increased in the surgical groups to 17.433 ± 0.3822 mm and 19.175 ± 0.3696 mm, respectively.

Conclusion:

The present trial suggests surgical open reduction and internal fixation treatment of the mandibular condylar fracture is better than the nonsurgical closed reduction in terms of interincisal opening, lateral excursion, and protrusive mandibular movement range.

Disinfection of Impression Materials with Glutaraldehyde, Ultraviolet Radiation, and Autoclave: A Comparative Study

Background:

The present study was conducted to compare various methods of disinfection of impression materials such as glutaraldehyde, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and autoclave.

Materials and Methods:

The present study was conducted on eighty alginate impression materials which were disinfectant with 2.2% glutaraldehyde, UV radiation, and autoclave. The pre- and postbacterial count was assessed.

Results:

The mean premicrobial contamination in Group I was 362.2 106 colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml, in Group II was 306.4 106 CFU/ml, and in Group III was 336.2 106 CFU/ml. The mean postmicrobial contamination in Group I was 65.2 106 CFU/ml, in Group II was 76.7 106 CFU/ml, and in Group III was 28.4 106 CFU/ml.

Conclusion:

The authors found that autoclave proved to be better in terms of reduction in bacterial colonies as compared to glutaraldehyde and UV radiation.

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.

Terbinafine resistance in dermatophytes: Time to revisit alternate antifungal therapy

Resistant superficial dermatophytic infections of the skin and its appendages have emerged as a major health problem in India. Mutations in Squalene epoxidase gene have led to increasing incidence of resistance to terbinafine in dermatophytic isolates. We examined six patients with recalcitrant dermatophytosis attending Dermatology OPD at a tertiary care hospital and demonstrated terbinafine resistance by molecular method. Immediate hyperitivity (IH) reaction to Trichophytin antigen was highlighted in these patients. The patients were treated with alternate antifungals after demonstration of resistance to terbinafine based on the antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST). On follow up the patients responded well to the substitute but the duration of therapy had to be prolonged beyond six weeks.

Assessment of dependency of tobacco in relation with price hike, statuary warning, anti-tobacco camp or advertisement on Kanpur population: A cross-sectional survey

Aim:

To examine the significance of cigarette prices, statuary warning, anti-tobacco camp or advertisement in influencing smoking cessation and the motivation to quit tobacco use.Tobacco use is highly prevalent all over the world. Tobacco smoking and chewing affects almost all the systems of the body.

Subjects:

Tobacco (smokeless and smoking) male participants aged between 18 and 50 years were recruited.

Materials and Methods:

Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire related to smoking habits, the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence questionnaire, and effect of price hike, statuary warning, anti-tobacco camp or advertisement.

Results:

Tobacco user with moderate and high dependent showed no effect in use of tobacco of price hike, statuary warning, anti-tobacco camp or advertisement.

Conclusion:

This study provides a unique opportunity to study tobacco cessation among tobacco user and their response to tobacco prices, statuary warning, anti-tobacco camp or advertisement. Higher tobacco prices appear to be associated with greater motivation to stop tobacco habit.

Candida auris in critically ill patients: Emerging threat in intensive care unit of hospitals

Candida auris has emerged as the multi-drug resistant non-albican candida species in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) causing bloodstream and other infections. It has often been misidentified as Candida famata, Candida sake, Rhodotorula glutinis, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida haemulonii by automated identification systems. We, in this study, discuss three patients who acquired Candida auris infection after 15 to 20days of their stay in medical ICU. Medical equipment, use of multiple antibiotics, and poor hand hygiene are the most probable predisposing factors attributing to its colonization at multiple anatomical sites leading to bloodstream infection. Candida auris might substantially contaminate the environment of colonized or infected patients making its eradication difficult. Patient screening for Candida auris, especially during prolonged ICU stays, along with strict infection prevention and control strategies needs to be adopted to break its persistence.

Challenges in culture-negative cases of Madurella mycetomatis: A case report re-accentuating PCR as an essential diagnostic tool

Identification of dematiaceous fungi responsible for black-grain mycetoma has remained cumbersome and time consuming for years leading to delayed diagnosis and thereby increased agony to patients. Moreover, difficult morphology of some of these fungi demanding enough expertise for species identification in addition to culture-negativity has often led to misdiagnosis and hence inapt treatment to the patients. We report the identification of Madurella mycetomatis from culture-negative black granules discharged from foot nodular lesions of a 27 years old male using PCR followed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. The patient's lesions were successfully treated using a combination of itraconazole (200mg) and terbinafine (250mg), confirming our diagnosis. Our case study proves the clinical value of PCR as the best, rapid and accurate diagnostic method for the identification of Madurella mycetomatis and related fungi, particularly in culture-negative cases.

Evaluation of Parmotrema reticulatum taylor for antibacterial and antiinflammatory activities

Lichens produce variety of secondary metabolites including depsides, depsidones and dibenzofurans having multifunctional activity in response to external environmental condition. Present study provides evidence for in vitro antibacterial and in vivo antiinflammatory activity of acetone and ethanol extracts of Parmotrema reticulatum. In vitro antibacterial activity was investigated against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Cotton pellet-induced granuloma, xylene-induced ear swelling, carragennan-induced edema, histamine-induced and carboxymethylcellulose sodium-induced leukocyte emigration in mice models were used to quantify the antiinflammatory activity. Acetone and ethanol extracts were showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis (minimal inhibitory concentration: 100 and 150 μg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration: 100 and 200 μg/ml), Escherichia coli (minimal inhibitory concentration: 200 and 250 μg/ml), and Pseudomonasa eruginosa (minimal inhibitory concentration: 200 and 300 μg/ml). Acetone extract was inhibited edema significantly at 200 mg/kg with xylene, cotton pellet, carragennan and histamine induced edema in vivo models. Ethanol extract was found effective at dose of 300 mg/kg with all in vivo antiinflammatory models. The results showed significant (P<0.01) antiinflammatory effects at 200 and 300 mg/kg dose of acetone and ethanol extracts, respectively, which can be concluded that significant activity may be due to presence of flavanoids in ethanol extract and usnic acid in acetone extract.

Subcutaneous mycoses caused by Rhytidhysteron species in an immunocompetent patient

Subcutaneous mycoses are chronic fungal infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues caused by variety of fungal agents and usually occur following trauma with vegetative matter. We report a case of subcutaneous mycoses caused by rare fungus belonging to the genus Rhytidhysteron, in an immunocompetent male who presented with a subcutaneous nodule on left foot. This unusual species was identified and confirmed by molecular methods.

12-lipoxygenase activity plays an important role in PAR4 and GPVI-mediated platelet reactivity

Following initial platelet activation, arachidonic acid is metabolised by cyclooxygenase-1 and 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX). While the role of 12-LOX in the platelet is not well defined, recent evidence suggests that it may be important for regulation of platelet activity and is agonist-specific in the manner in which it regulates platelet function. Using small molecule inhibitors selective for 12-LOX and 12-LOX-deficient mice, the role of 12-LOX in regulation of human platelet activation and thrombosis was investigated. Pharmacologically inhibiting 12-LOX resulted in attenuation of platelet aggregation, selective inhibition of dense versus alpha granule secretion, and inhibition of platelet adhesion under flow for PAR4 and collagen. Additionally, 12-LOX-deficient mice showed attenuated integrin activity to PAR4-AP and convulxin compared to wild-type mice. Finally, platelet activation by PARs was shown to be differentially dependent on COX-1 and 12-LOX with PAR1 relying on COX-1 oxidation of arachidonic acid while PAR4 being more dependent on 12-LOX for normal platelet function. These studies demonstrate an important role for 12-LOX in regulating platelet activation and thrombosis. Furthermore, the data presented here provide a basis for potentially targeting 12-LOX as a means to attenuate unwanted platelet activation and clot formation.

Oxadiazole 2-oxides are toxic to the human hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, however glutathione reductase is not the primary target

Hookworm disease, characterized by severe anemia and cognitive and growth delays, currently affects an estimated 740 million people worldwide. Despite the prevalence of this parasitic disease, few effective drug therapies are in use today, and the heavy reliance upon benzimidazoles highlights the need for the development of novel chemotherapies. Recent work with the trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni has identified oxadiazole 2-oxides as effective antischistosomal compounds that function by targeting and inhibiting the antioxidant enzyme, thioredoxin glutathione reductase. In this study, a related enzyme, glutathione reductase, from the human hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum was identified and characterized, and its in vitro activity in the presence of the oxadiazole 2-oxides was analyzed. Ex vivo worm killing assays were also conducted to establish the relationship between a given compound's effect upon worm survival and inhibition of recombinant glutathione reductase (rAceGR). Finally, the in vivo anthelminthic efficacy of furoxan (Fx) was assessed in the hamster model of hookworm infection. The predicted amino acid sequence of AceGR contained a prototypical glutathione reductase active site sequence, but no thioredoxin reductase consensus sequences, suggesting that the glutathione and thioredoxin pathways of A. ceylanicum are distinct. Although ten of the forty-two oxadiazole 2-oxides tested inhibited rAceGR activity by at least fifty percent, and fifteen compounds were toxic to parasites ex vivo, little overlap existed between these two results. We therefore suggest that AceGR is not the primary target of the oxadiazole 2-oxides in effecting parasite death. Lastly, oral treatment of A. ceylanicuminfected hamsters with furoxan resulted in significantly improved weight gains and reduced intestinal worm burdens compared to vehicle treated controls, supporting continued development of this molecule as a novel anthelminthic.

The health system in Nepal-An introduction

We present here a study on the health system in Nepal. Approximately two-thirds of the health problems in Nepal are infectious diseases. Epidemics occur frequently with a high rate of morbidity and mortality and there are occasional outbreaks of infectious diseases of unknown etiology. In addition, the rapid rate of HIV infection in the Indian sub-continent is likely to add a new dimension of opportunistic infections. Until now, the Health System introduced as the General Health Plan in 1956 has been expanded by focusing on primary health care, and a comprehensive network-like Health System has been developed; the most basic unit is a Sub-Health Post or Health Post in each Village Development Committee area. However, the expansion of the Health System has not been matched by an expansion in the domestive resources, workers and supplies, and the available resources are not efficiently distributed. In addition, insufficient resources available for preventive and promotive medicine and the occurrence of non-infectious diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases has been increasing. The Government recently introduced a Health Policy encouraging the private sector to invest in the production of health workers and in providing quality health services. As a result, several private health institutions have been founded and are expected to contribute to the development of the human resources required by Nepal.

Protective effect of curcumin, silymarin and N-acetylcysteine on antitubercular drug-induced hepatotoxicity assessed in an in vitro model

Tuberculosis (TB) is highly endemic in India. The first-line anti-TB therapy (ATT) involving isoniazid (INH), rifampicin and pyrazinamide causes hepatotoxicity in approximately 11.5% of Indian patients. Studies have shown that ATT-induced hepatotoxicity is primarily due to oxidative stress caused by the drugs and metabolites. Herbal drugs with antioxidative properties have been tested in animal studies and clinical trials for the management of hepatotoxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of curcumin (CUR), silymarin (SILY) and N-acetylcysteine (N-ACET) on hepatotoxicity by ATT drugs using an in vitro model of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). HepG2 cells were treated with ATT drugs alone or along with CUR, SILY or N-ACET for a 48-h duration. The cells were monitored for viability, morphology, respiring mitochondria and cell cycle. Our results suggest that the presence of hepatoprotective drugs during treatment of HepG2 cells with ATT drugs lowers the hepatotoxic effect of the latter. This is observed in terms of (a) increased cell viability, (b) healthy-looking cell morphology as revealed by phase contrast microscopy, (c) active respiring cells as observed with confocal microscopy upon staining with a mitochondrial membrane-specific dye, MitoTracker(®) Red, and reduction in the sub-G(1) peak in cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry. Our results suggest that these hepatoprotective drugs need to be further explored as potential adjuvant therapy along with ATT drugs.

Medicinal mushrooms: Towards a new horizon

The arising awareness about functional food has created a boom in this new millennium. Mushrooms are widely consumed by the people due to their nutritive and medicinal properties. Belonging to taxonomic category of basidiomycetes or ascomycetes, these mushrooms possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. They are also one of the richest source of anticancer and immunomodulating agents. Thus these novel myochemicals from these mushrooms are the wave of future.

Lipid profile of adult Nepalese population

Dyslipidemia is one of the major risk factors of coronary artery disease. Present study was aimed to find out the lipid profile of non-diabetic adult Nepalese population (n = 454; M: 180 and F: 274; Mean age: 42.8+/-15.5 years). The mean +/- SD (mg/dl) level of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) was 184+/-50.7, 147.4+/-79.9, 111.9+/-42.0 and 45.0+/-11.7, respectively. All lipid levels except LDL were higher among 41 to 60 years age group while LDL was higher among participants aged >60 years. Desirable TC level (<200 mg/dl) was found in 78.0% of the total population while the normal TG (<150 mg/dl) and LDL (<129 mg/dl) was found in 61.5% and 72.0%, respectively. High TC (> or =240 mg/dl) and very high TG (> or =500 mg/dl) and LDL (> or =190 mg/dl) were found in 8.8%, 2.6% and 5.8% of participants, respectively. Higher HDL level (40 mg/dl) was seen in 60.0% of the total population. Higher percentage of women than men (65.3% vs 52.2%) had >40 mg/dl HDL level. Nornal lipid profile (TC <200 mg/dl, TG <150 mg/dl, LDL <129 mg/dl, HDL >40 mg/dl) was seen in 26.7% of participants, and was higher in females (32.1%) than in males (18.3%). The overall mean cholesterol level was within normal limit. Mean LDL level showed increasing trend with age and about one fourth of participants had normal lipid profile.

The epidemiology of melioidosis in the Balimo region of Papua New Guinea

The distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei was determined in soil collected from a rural district in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where melioidosis had recently been described, predominately affecting children. In 274 samples, 2.6% tested culture-positive for B. pseudomallei. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using SpeI digests and rapid polymorphic DNA PCR with five primers demonstrated a single clone amongst clinical isolates and isolates cultured from the environment that was commonly used by children from whom the clinical isolates were derived. We concluded that individuals in this region most probably acquired the organism through close contact with the environment at these sites. Burkholderia thailandensis, a closely related Burkholderia sp. was isolated from 5.5% of samples tested, an observation similar to that of melioidosis-endemic areas in Thailand. This is the first report of an environmental reservoir for melioidosis in PNG and confirms the Balimo district in PNG as melioidosis endemic.

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.

Chitosan hydrochloride based microspheres of albendazole for colonic drug delivery

Microspheres of chitosan hydrochloride (CH) were prepared in order to deliver albendazole specifically into the colon. Microspheres were prepared by an emulsion method using different ratios of drug and CH (1:1 to 1:5), agitation speeds (500 to 1500 rpm) and concentrations of glutaraldehyde in toluene as the cross-linking agent (0.25 to 1.0% w/v). The effect of polymer concentration, stirring rate and concentration of cross-linking agent on the particle size and drug loading was studied. With an increase in CH concentration, the average particle size was increased. Increased agitation speed reduced the size of the microspheres but higher agitation speed resulted in irregularly shaped microspheres. Increasing the concentration of cross-linking agent produced more regularly shaped microspheres of smaller size. The drug loading was highest at a drug: CH ratio of 1:3, stirring speed 1000 rpm and 0.75% w/v concentration of cross-linking agent. The effect of CH concentration on in vitro drug release from the microspheres was evaluated in simulated g.i.t fluids. A comparative in vitro drug release study of the optimized formulation was carried out in simulated colonic fluid, with and without 2% rat caecal content. The drug release in 24 h was 48.9% in colonic fluid without rat caecal content, and 76.5% in colonic fluid with rat caecal contents.

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.

Multistrange baryon production in Au-Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV

The transverse mass spectra and midrapidity yields for Xis and Omegas are presented. For the 10% most central collisions, the (-)Xi(+)/h(-) ratio increases from the Super Proton Synchrotron to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider energies while the Xi(-)/h(-) stays approximately constant. A hydrodynamically inspired model fit to the Xi spectra, which assumes a thermalized source, seems to indicate that these multistrange particles experience a significant transverse flow effect, but are emitted when the system is hotter and the flow is smaller than values obtained from a combined fit to pi, K, p, and Lambdas.

Cross sections and transverse single-spin asymmetries in forward neutral-pion production from proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

Measurements of the production of forward high-energy pi(0) mesons from transversely polarized proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV are reported. The cross section is generally consistent with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The analyzing power is small at x(F) below about 0.3, and becomes positive and large at higher x(F), similar to the trend in data at sqrt[s]< or =20 GeV. The analyzing power is in qualitative agreement with perturbative QCD model expectations. This is the first significant spin result seen for particles produced with p(T)>1 GeV/c at a polarized proton collider.

Identified particle distributions in pp and Au+Au collisions at square root of (sNN)=200 GeV

Transverse mass and rapidity distributions for charged pions, charged kaons, protons, and antiprotons are reported for square root of [sNN]=200 GeV pp and Au+Au collisions at Relativistic Heary Ion Collider (RHIC). Chemical and kinetic equilibrium model fits to our data reveal strong radial flow and long duration from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The chemical freeze-out temperature appears to be independent of initial conditions at RHIC energies.

Rho0 production and possible modification in Au+Au and p+p collisions at square root [sNN] = 200 GeV

We report results on rho(770)(0)-->pi(+)pi(-) production at midrapidity in p+p and peripheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. This is the first direct measurement of rho(770)(0)-->pi(+)pi(-) in heavy-ion collisions. The measured rho(0) peak in the invariant mass distribution is shifted by approximately 40 MeV/c(2) in minimum bias p+p interactions and approximately 70 MeV/c(2) in peripheral Au+Au collisions. The rho(0) mass shift is dependent on transverse momentum and multiplicity. The modification of the rho(0) meson mass, width, and shape due to phase space and dynamical effects are discussed.

Azimuthal anisotropy at the relativistic heavy ion collider: the first and fourth harmonics

We report the first observations of the first harmonic (directed flow, v(1)) and the fourth harmonic (v(4)), in the azimuthal distribution of particles with respect to the reaction plane in Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Both measurements were done taking advantage of the large elliptic flow (v(2)) generated at RHIC. From the correlation of v(2) with v(1) it is determined that v(2) is positive, or in-plane. The integrated v(4) is about a factor of 10 smaller than v(2). For the sixth (v(6)) and eighth (v(8)) harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.

Particle-type dependence of azimuthal anisotropy and nuclear modification of particle production in Au+Au collisions at square root of sNN=200 GeV

We present STAR measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy parameter v(2) and the binary-collision scaled centrality ratio R(CP) for kaons and lambdas (Lambda+Lambda) at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=200 GeV. In combination, the v(2) and R(CP) particle-type dependencies contradict expectations from partonic energy loss followed by standard fragmentation in vacuum. We establish p(T) approximately 5 GeV/c as the value where the centrality dependent baryon enhancement ends. The K(0)(S) and Lambda+Lambda v(2) values are consistent with expectations of constituent-quark-number scaling from models of hadron formation by parton coalescence or recombination.

Pion-Kaon correlations in central Au+Au collisions at square root [sNN] = 130 GeV

Pion-kaon correlation functions are constructed from central Au+Au STAR data taken at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results suggest that pions and kaons are not emitted at the same average space-time point. Space-momentum correlations, i.e., transverse flow, lead to a space-time emission asymmetry of pions and kaons that is consistent with the data. This result provides new independent evidence that the system created at RHIC undergoes a collective transverse expansion.

Three-pion Hanbury Brown-Twiss correlations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions from the STAR experiment

Data from the first physics run at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV, have been analyzed by the STAR Collaboration using three-pion correlations with charged pions to study whether pions are emitted independently at freeze-out. We have made a high-statistics measurement of the three-pion correlation function and calculated the normalized three-particle correlator to obtain a quantitative measurement of the degree of chaoticity of the pion source. It is found that the degree of chaoticity seems to increase with increasing particle multiplicity.

Near-threshold production of the multistrange Xi- hyperon

The yield for the multistrange Xi(-) hyperon has been measured in 6A GeV Au+Au collisions via reconstruction of its decay products pi(-) and Lambda, the latter also being reconstructed from its daughter tracks of pi(-) and p. The measurement is rather close to the threshold for Xi(-) production and therefore provides an important test of model predictions. The measured yield for Xi(-) and Lambda are compared for several centralities. In central collisions the Xi(-) yield is found to be in excellent agreement with statistical and transport model predictions, suggesting that multistrange hadron production approaches chemical equilibrium in high baryon density nuclear matter.

Transverse-momentum and collision-energy dependence of high-pT hadron suppression in Au+Au collisions at ultrarelativistic energies

We report high statistics measurements of inclusive charged hadron production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. A large, approximately constant hadron suppression is observed in central Au+Au collisions for 5<p(T)<12 GeV/c. The collision energy dependence of the yields and the centrality and p(T) dependence of the suppression provide stringent constraints on theoretical models of suppression. Models incorporating initial-state gluon saturation or partonic energy loss in dense matter are largely consistent with observations. We observe no evidence of p(T)-dependent suppression, which may be expected from models incorporating jet attenuation in cold nuclear matter or scattering of fragmentation hadrons.

Comparison of source images for protons, pi-'s, and lambda's in 6A GeV Au+Au collisions

Source images are extracted from two-particle correlations constructed from strange and nonstrange hadrons produced in 6A GeV Au+Au collisions. Very different source images result from pp vs p Lambda vs pi(-)pi(-) correlations. Scaling by transverse mass can describe the apparent source size ratio for p/pi(-) but not for Lambda/pi(-) or Lambda/p. These observations suggest important differences in the space-time emission histories for protons, pions, and neutral strange baryons produced in the same events.

Evidence from d+Au measurements for final-state suppression of high-p(T) hadrons in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

We report measurements of single-particle inclusive spectra and two-particle azimuthal distributions of charged hadrons at high transverse momentum (high p(T)) in minimum bias and central d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The inclusive yield is enhanced in d+Au collisions relative to binary-scaled p+p collisions, while the two-particle azimuthal distributions are very similar to those observed in p+p collisions. These results demonstrate that the strong suppression of the inclusive yield and back-to-back correlations at high p(T) previously observed in central Au+Au collisions are due to final-state interactions with the dense medium generated in such collisions.

Narrowing of the balance function with centrality in Au+Au collisions at the square root of SNN = 130 GeV

The balance function is a new observable based on the principle that charge is locally conserved when particles are pair produced. Balance functions have been measured for charged particle pairs and identified charged pion pairs in Au+Au collisions at the square root of SNN = 130 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider using STAR. Balance functions for peripheral collisions have widths consistent with model predictions based on a superposition of nucleon-nucleon scattering. Widths in central collisions are smaller, consistent with trends predicted by models incorporating late hadronization.

Disappearance of back-to-back high-pT hadron correlations in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s NN ] =200 GeV

Azimuthal correlations for large transverse momentum charged hadrons have been measured over a wide pseudorapidity range and full azimuth in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The small-angle correlations observed in p+p collisions and at all centralities of Au+Au collisions are characteristic of hard-scattering processes previously observed in high-energy collisions. A strong back-to-back correlation exists for p+p and peripheral Au+Au. In contrast, the back-to-back correlations are reduced considerably in the most central Au+Au collisions, indicating substantial interaction as the hard-scattered partons or their fragmentation products traverse the medium.

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in the hard scattering regime at RHIC

Azimuthal anisotropy (v(2)) and two-particle angular correlations of high p(T) charged hadrons have been measured in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV for transverse momenta up to 6 GeV/c, where hard processes are expected to contribute significantly. The two-particle angular correlations exhibit elliptic flow and a structure suggestive of fragmentation of high p(T) partons. The monotonic rise of v(2)(p(T)) for p(T)<2 GeV/c is consistent with collective hydrodynamical flow calculations. At p(T)>3 GeV/c, a saturation of v(2) is observed which persists up to p(T)=6 GeV/c.

Coherent rho(0) production in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions

The STAR Collaboration reports the first observation of exclusive rho(0) photoproduction, AuAu-->AuAurho(0), and rho(0) production accompanied by mutual nuclear Coulomb excitation, AuAu-->Au*Au*rho(0), in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The rho(0) have low transverse momenta, consistent with coherent coupling to both nuclei. The cross sections at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV agree with theoretical predictions treating rho(0) production and Coulomb excitation as independent processes.

Centrality dependence of high-p(T) hadron suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV

Inclusive transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons within 0.2<p(T)<6.0 GeV/c have been measured over a broad range of centrality for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV. Hadron yields are suppressed at high p(T) in central collisions relative to peripheral collisions and to a nucleon-nucleon reference scaled for collision geometry. Peripheral collisions are not suppressed relative to the nucleon-nucleon reference. The suppression varies continuously at intermediate centralities. The results indicate significant nuclear medium effects on high-p(T) hadron production in heavy-ion collisions at high energy.

Azimuthal anisotropy of K(0)(S) and Lambda+Lambda production at midrapidity from Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV

We report STAR results on the azimuthal anisotropy parameter v(2) for strange particles K(0)(S), Lambda, and Lambda at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The value of v(2) as a function of transverse momentum, p(t), of the produced particle and collision centrality is presented for both particles up to p(t) approximately 3.0 GeV/c. A strong p(t) dependence in v(2) is observed up to 2.0 GeV/c. The v(2) measurement is compared with hydrodynamic model calculations. The physics implications of the p(t) integrated v(2) magnitude as a function of particle mass are also discussed.

Midrapidity Lambda and Lambda(macro) production in Au+Au collisions at the square root of [s(NN)]=130 GeV

We report the first measurement of strange (Lambda) and antistrange (Lambda macro) baryon production from square root of [s(NN)]=130 GeV Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Rapidity density and transverse mass distributions at midrapidity are presented as a function of centrality. The yield of Lambda and Lambda; hyperons is found to be approximately proportional to the number of negative hadrons. The production of Lambda; hyperons relative to negative hadrons increases very rapidly with transverse momentum. The magnitude of the increase cannot be described by existing hadronic string fragmentation models alone.

Longitudinal flow of protons from (2-8)A GeV central Au+Au collisions

Rapidity distributions of protons from central 197Au+197Au collisions measured by the E895 Collaboration in the energy range from (2-8)A GeV at the Brookhaven AGS are presented. Longitudinal flow parameters derived using a thermal model including collective longitudinal expansion are extracted from these distributions. The results show an approximately linear increase in the longitudinal flow velocity, <betagamma>(L), as a function of the logarithm of beam energy.

Cytokines in posterior uveitis: an update

T helper (Th) lymphocytes differentiate into two distinct subsets--Th1 and Th2--as defined by functional abilities and cytokine profiles. The functional differences between Th subsets are explained primarily through the activities of the cytokines they secrete. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is the signature cytokine of Th1 cells, which also produce interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta). IL-4 is the corresponding signature cytokine of Th2 cells, which also secrete IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-13. Recently, a few transcription factors have been identified that not only control the expression of cytokines of a particular type but also repress cytokines of other types. Human Th1 and Th2 cells not only produce a different set of cytokines but also exhibit distinct functional properties and the preferential expression of some activation markers. Pathophysiologically, the two subsets have been found to be mutually antagonistic. Various Th1 and Th2 cytokines appear to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of posterior uveitis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). The exact contribution of these mediators to uveitis remains to be defined. Recent studies suggest that a shift from Th1- to Th2-dominated response could be of therapeutic benefit. This review evaluates various studies in which uveitopathogenic and therapeutic potentials of various Th1 and Th2 cytokines have been investigated.

Measurement of inclusive antiprotons from Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN) = 130 GeV

We report the first measurement of inclusive antiproton production at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN) = 130 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The antiproton transverse mass distributions in the measured transverse momentum range of 0.25<p( perpendicular)<0.95 GeV/c are found to fall less steeply for more central collisions. The extrapolated antiproton rapidity density is found to scale approximately with the negative hadron multiplicity density.