Hunting long-lived gluinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Eventual signals of split sypersymmetry in cosmic ray physics are analyzed in detail. The study focusses particularly on quasi-stable colorless R-hadrons originating through confinement of long-lived gluinos (with quarks, anti-quarks, and gluons) produced in pp collisions at astrophysical sources. Because of parton density requirements, the gluino has a momentum which is considerable smaller than the energy of the primary proton, and so production of heavy (mass ~ 500 GeV) R-hadrons requires powerful cosmic ray engines able to accelerate particles up to extreme energies, somewhat above 10^{13.6} GeV. Using a realistic Monte Carlo simulation with the AIRES engine, we study the main characteristics of the air showers triggered when one of these exotic hadrons impinges on a stationary nucleon of the Earth atmosphere. We show that R-hadron air showers present clear differences with respect to those initiated by standard particles. We use this shower characteristics to construct observables which may be used to distinguish long-lived gluinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 13 pages revtex, 9 eps figures. A ps version with high resolution figures is available at http://www.hep.physics.neu.edu/staff/doqui/rhadron_highres.p

Positioning systems in Minkowski space-time: from emission to inertial coordinates

The coordinate transformation between emission coordinates and inertial coordinates in Minkowski space-time is obtained for arbitrary configurations of the emitters. It appears that a positioning system always generates two different coordinate domains, namely, the front and the back emission coordinate domains. For both domains, the corresponding covariant expression of the transformation is explicitly given in terms of the emitter world-lines. This task requires the notion of orientation of an emitter configuration. The orientation is shown to be computable from the emission coordinates for the users of a `central' region of the front emission coordinate domain. Other space-time regions associated with the emission coordinates are also outlined.Comment: 20 pages; 1 figur

Analysis of bright bolides recorded between October and November 2022 by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network

We present in this work the analysis of some of the bright fireballs spotted in the framework of the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN) between October and November 2022. They have been observed from the Iberian Peninsula and had a maximum brightness ranging from mag. –7 to mag. –15. Most meteors included in this report were linked to the sporadic background and also to the Southern Taurids.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project PID2019-105797GB-I00). State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the “Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa” award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). Spanish grant AYA -RTI2018–098657–J-I00 “LEO-SBNAF” (MCIU / AEI / FEDER, UE)

Remarkable fireballs spotted in the framework of the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network along August and September 2022

Some of the bright bolides observed in the framework of the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network between August and September 2022 are described in this work. These have been spotted from the Iberian Peninsula. Their maximum luminosity ranges from mag. –7 to mag. –12. One of these bolides gave rise to a meteorite.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project PID2019-105797GB-I00). Spanish MCIU through the “Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa” award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709).Spanish grant AYA - RTI2018 – 098657 -J- I00 “LEO-SBNAF” (MCIU / AEI / FEDER, UE)

The Southwestern Europe Meteor Network: notable meteors spotted between December 2022 and January 2023

We present in this report the analysis of some of the notable meteors registered in the framework of the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network between December 2022 and January 2023. These were recorded from Spain. Their peak brightness ranges from mag. –7 to mag. –10. The emission spectrum of one of them is also presented. Bright meteors included here were produced by different sources: the sporadic background, major meteoroid streams, and poorly-known streams.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project PID2019-105797GB-I00). State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the “Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa” award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). Spanish grant AYA - RTI2018 – 098657 – J - I00 “LEO – SBNAF” (MCIU / AEI / FEDER, UE)

Consensus recommendations for risk stratification in multiple myeloma: report of the International Myeloma Workshop Consensus Panel 2.

A panel of members of the 2009 International Myeloma Workshop developed guidelines for risk stratification in multiple myeloma. The purpose of risk stratification is not to decide time of therapy but to prognosticate. There is general consensus that risk stratification is applicable to newly diagnosed patients; however, some genetic abnormalities characteristic of poor outcome at diagnosis may suggest poor outcome if only detected at the time of relapse. Thus, in good-risk patients, it is necessary to evaluate for high-risk features at relapse. Although detection of any cytogenetic abnormality is considered to suggest higher-risk disease, the specific abnormalities considered as poor risk are cytogenetically detected chromosomal 13 or 13q deletion, t(4; 14) and del17p, and detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization of t(4; 14), t(14; 16), and del17p. Detection of 13q deletion by fluorescence in situ hybridization only, in absence of other abnormalities, is not considered a high-risk feature. High serum beta(2)-microglobulin level and International Staging System stages II and III, incorporating high beta(2)-microglobulin and low albumin, are considered to predict higher risk disease. There was a consensus that the high-risk features will change in the future, with introduction of other new agents or possibly new combinations. (Blood. 2011; 117(18): 4696-4700

Effects of IL-8 up-regulation on cell survival and osteoclastogenesis in multiple myeloma

[EN]IL-8 promotes cancer cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis in several tumors. Herein, we investigated the sources of IL-8 production in multiple myeloma (MM) and its potential roles in MM pathogenesis. We found that bone marrow cells from patients with MM secreted higher amounts of IL-8 than healthy donors. IL-8 production was detected in cultures of CD138+ plasma cells and CD138(-) cells isolated from bone marrows of MM patients, and in three of seven human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) analyzed. Interactions between MM and stromal cells increased IL-8 secretion by stromal cells through cell-cell adhesion and soluble factors. Interestingly, 1L8 expression also increased in HMCLs, stromal cells, and osteoclasts after treatment with the antimyeloma drugs melphalan and bortezomib. In fact, the effect of bortezomib on IL-8 production was higher than that exerted by stromal-MM cell interactions. Addition of exogenous IL-8 did not affect growth of HMCLs, although it protected cells from death induced by serum starvation through a caspase-independent mechanism. Furthermore, IL-8 induced by stromal-MM cell interactions strongly contributed to osteoclast formation in vitro, because osteoclastogenesis was markedly reduced by IL-8 specific neutralizing antibodies. In conclusion, our results implicate IL-8 in myeloma bone disease and point to the potential utility of an anti IL-8 therapy to prevent unwanted effects of IL-8 up-regulation on survival, angiogenesis, and osteolysis in MM.Spanish RTICC, Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC), the INNOCAMPUS Program , Spanish ISCIII-FIS (PI12/02591) and FEDER, Regional Council from Castilla y León (Consejería de Educación) and the Network of Centers for Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapy from Castilla y León