Catalogue of cataclysmic binaries, low-mass X-ray binaries and related objects (Seventh edition)

The catalogue lists coordinates, apparent magnitudes, orbital parameters, and stellar parameters of the components and other characteristc properties of 472 cataclysmic binaries, 71 low-mass X-ray binaries and 113 related objects with known or suspected orbital periods together with a comprehensive selection of the relevant recent literature. In addition, the catalogue contains a list of references to published finding charts for 635 of the 656 objects, and a cross-reference list of alias object designations. Literature published before 1 January 2003 has, as far as possible, been taken into account. All data can be accessed via the dedicated catalogue webpage at http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/RKcat/ and http://physics.open.ac.uk/RKcat/ and at CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (30.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/404/301. We will update the information given on the catalogue webpage regularly, initially every six months

Los Apasionados de la Creación. (Les Forçats de l´Art.)

La existencia de cada ser humano es comparable a un grano de arena perdido en la inmensidad del océano y aunque solos se parecen al polvo, reunidos forman las costas, las dunas y las tempestades de la humanidad. Cada grano de arena tiene su importancia, por muy pequeño que sea, es un universo, que viaja y se pule, modelado por el tiempo de las olas. Hay mucho donde elegir entre tanto sílice. Pondré mi atención solamente en dos de estos granos de arena, proponiéndome de forma testimonial, rendir un homenaje a mis progenitores, no sin antes aceptar de antemano el peligro y las trampas que me supondrá el desafío de hablar de mi familia

Difficulté des listes thématiques d'un ouvrage bilingue selon la fréquence d’usage des mots

Résumé : Les ouvrages de vocabulaires thématiques (OVT) sont formés de listes de mots dont le choix est souvent subjectif. Pourtant, la fréquence d’usage des mots permet de sélectionner le vocabulaire le plus courant qui est normalement appris en priorité. Dans la présente recherche, nous analysons un OVT, destiné aux apprenants de niveaux B1-B2 selon l’échelle du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL), afin de vérifier la difficulté des listes thématiques de mots à l’aide de leur fréquence d’usage. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que la fréquence n’est aucunement prise en compte dans cet ouvrage et que le vocabulaire semble être choisi de manière subjective. Nous faisons alors plusieurs suggestions pour améliorer la réalisation des OVT.Abstract : Thematic Vocabulary Books consist in being lists of words whose choice is often subjective. However, the frequency of use of words makes it possible to select the most common vocabulary which is normally learned in priority. In this research, we analyze an Thematic Vocabulary Book, intended for B1-B2 level learners according to the Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL) scale, to check the difficulty of thematic lists of words with the help of their frequency of use. The results obtained show that the frequency is not taken into account in this book and that the vocabulary seems to be chosen subjectively. We then make several suggestions to improve the construction of Thematic Vocabulary Books.

Concurrence entre les auxiliaires être et avoir des verbes de mouvement durant l’époque moderne

Le présent article retrace l’évolution de la fixation des auxiliaires être et avoir durant la période moderne (XVIème au XVIIIème siècle). Une revue de littérature des grammaires et dictionnaires de cette époque est établie afin de relever l’usage et les prescription de ces auxiliaires avec les verbes de mouvement. Cette revue de littérature cible les verbes de mouvement pour leur utilisation fréquente, mais changeante dans le temps, avec l’auxiliaire être. Elle cible également l’aspect (perfectif et imperfectif), qui distingue les verbes de mouvement entre eux, afin de le confronter aux auxiliaires usités. Quelques termes grammaticaux obsolètes sont également indiqués pour rendre compréhensible les grammaires et dictionnaires anciens. Au final, nous émettons l’hypothèse que l’auxiliaire avoir a tendance à s’imposer naturellement alors que les grammairiens tendent à prescrire l’auxiliaire être pour les verbes perfectifs

Devis ludique pour les modèles d’ingénierie de dispositifs pédagogiques | Gamification Specifications for Engineering Models of Educational Devices

Educational devices can include play-based elements, and even take the form of so-called serious video games combining educational and playful aspects. Educational engineering models, however, do not take into consideration the addition of play-based features in educational devices. As for engineering models targeting serious games, they are often designed for a specific genre. In this article, we propose the addition of gamification specifications to the ADDIE model for use in the development of serious games. The example used ultimately highlights the adaptability of the model created, which allows the modification of later versions of a serious game. Les dispositifs pédagogiques peuvent comporter des éléments ludiques et même prendre la forme de jeux vidéo dits sérieux qui combinent aspects pédagogique et ludique. Cependant, les modèles d’ingénierie pédagogique ne prennent pas en considération l’ajout de caractéristiques ludiques aux dispositifs pédagogiques. De leur côté, les modèles d’ingénierie ciblant les jeux sérieux sont souvent conçus pour un genre précis. Dans le présent article, nous proposons d’adjoindre un devis ludique au modèle ADDIE afin de l’utiliser pour l’ingénierie des jeux sérieux. Au final, l’exemple utilisé souligne l’adaptabilité du modèle créé qui permet la modification de versions ultérieures d’un même jeu sérieux

International smoking-related burden of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the turn of the twenty-first century

While smoking prevalence has declined or remained stable in most countries thanks to public awareness of the health hazard of smoking and the implementation of tobacco control policies, the burden of smoking-related diseases remains colossal and underestimated. Therefore, in this thesis, Joannie Lortet-Tieulent assesses the international burden of two smoking-related diseases —cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)— at the turn of the twenty-first century, with a special focus on Europe and the USA. This burden is examined through the gender (social norms on smoking), race (associated with socioeconomic status in the USA) and geographic location (impact of tobacco control policies and country income level) perspectives. First, the impact of gender on incidence trends of the four cancers that are the most associated with smoking are examined in Europe. Incidence trends reflect the delayed adoption of smoking by women compared with men, and the large declines in smoking prevalence in men. Second, cigarette design and content have evolved over time and the impact of these changes on the distribution of lung cancer types (histologies) on each sex is tracked. Having massively started to smoke when filtered/low tar cigarettes were made available, women mainly developed a different type of lung cancer (adenocarcinoma) compared with men (squamous cell carcinoma). However, as men switched to those so-called light cigarettes, more men developed adenocarcinomas. Third, in the USA, racial and ethnic disparities in the smoking-attributable burden of cancer are explored. Blacks have a higher burden of cancer than Whites, but the smoking-attributable fraction of cancer of Blacks is similar to that of Whites. The smoking-attributable fraction of the cancer burden of Asians and Hispanics is the smallest of all races/ethnicities. Geographical differences in the USA are also investigated, by comparing state-level smoking-attributable cancer deaths. At national-level, 29% of cancer deaths are attributable to cigarette smoking. The highest proportion of smoking-related cancer deaths are observed in the South of the USA (up to 34%), where tobacco is grown, tobacco control policies are weaker, cigarettes are more affordable, and large populations with low socioeconomic status (in whom smoking prevalence is the highest) live. Finally, international trends of COPD and lung cancer mortality rates are contrasted to better understand the role of smoking in COPD mortality. COPD mortality rates are decreasing globally, but for different reasons depending on the country income level. In high-income countries, COPD is probably declining due to the decrease in smoking prevalence and the improvement of COPD management. Meanwhile, progress in middle-income countries likely reflects declines in poverty (a risk factor for developing COPD), particularly among women, who seldom smoke cigarettes. In conclusion, while decreasing in some populations, the smoking-related burden of cancer and COPD is large and there is still a great potential to reduce it. Those health gains can be achieved by strengthening tobacco control. We have the ability to end the smoking epidemic during the twenty-first century

Minimaliai invazyvi chirurgija ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsija – šiuolaikinis lokaliai neišplitusio endometriumo vėžio gydymo standartas: literatūros apžvalga ir Nacionalinio vėžio instituto patirtis

Objectives. To find out sentinel lymph node detection rate of low-risk endometrial cancer patients. To compare postoperative complications rate, lenght of a surgery, lenght of hospital stay and sensitivity of detecting lymph node metastasis between minimally invasive surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy and abdominal surgery with systemic pelvic lymphadenectomy. Methods. Retrospective analysis of low-risk endometrial cancer patients, treated in National Cancer Institute (n = 103) history cases from 2018 10 untill 2019 12. I group – laparoscopic hysterectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy (n = 35); II group – abdominal hysterectomy with systemic pelvic lymphadenectomy (n = 68). Both groups were homogeneous according to clinicopathological features. Results. Sentinel lymph node were detected in 97.1% cases. Sentinel lymph nodes in both sides were detected in 85.7% cases. Metastasis in regional lymph nodes were detected in 2 cases (5.7%) in group I and none group II. Postoperative complications rate in group I were 3.8% and 13% in group II. Conclusions. There are significantly less postoperative complications in endoscopic surgery with sentinel node biopsy for low-risk endometrial cancer treatment, also this method is more accurate in surgical staging in National Cancer Institute.Sarginio limfmazgio biopsija – saugus ir efektyvus endometriumo vėžio gydymo metodas, taikytinas už gimdos ribų neišplitusios ligos atvejais. Tikslas. Išsiaiškinti pacienčių, kurioms diagnozuotas mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžys, sarginio limfmazgio nustatymo dažnį, palyginti minimaliai invazyvios chirurgijos su sarginio limfmazgio biopsija ir atvirųjų operacijų su sistemine dubens limfonodektomija komplikacijų dažnį, operacijų trukmę, lovadienių skaičių ir metodų jautrumą, nustatant metastazes limfmazgiuose. Tyrimo metodai. Atlikta retrospektyvioji ligos istorijų analizė. Tiriamąją imtį sudarė mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžiu sergančios pacientės (n = 103), gydytos Nacionaliniame vėžio institute nuo 2018 m. spalio mėn. iki 2019 m. gruodžio mėn. Tiriamosios suskirstytos į dvi grupes: I grupės pacientėms atlikta laparoskopinė histerektomija ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsija (n = 35); II grupės pacientėms – atviroji histerektomija ir sisteminė dubens limfonodektomija (n = 68). Abi grupės, palyginus jų klinikines ir patologines charakteristikas, buvo tolygios. Rezultatai. Sarginis limfmazgis nustatytas 97,1 proc. pacienčių. Sarginis limfmazgis abiejose dubens pusėse identifikuotas 85,7 proc. atvejų. Sritiniuose limfmazgiuose metastazių nustatyta dviem I grupės pacientėms (5,7 %), II grupėje – nenustatyta. Pooperacinės komplikacijos I grupėje sudarė 3,8 proc., II grupėje – 13 proc.Išvados. Pacientėms, kurioms diagnozuotas mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžys, taikant endoskopinę chirurgiją ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsiją, nustatoma statistiškai reikšmingai mažiau pooperacinių komplikacijų. Analizuojant Nacionaliniame vėžio institute gydytų pacienčių duomenis, pastebėtas didesnis kalbamojo chirurginio metodo jautrumas nustatant metastazes limfmazgiuose

Low-Frequency Radio Transients in the Galactic Center

We report the detection of a new radio transient source, GCRT J1746-2757, located only 1.1 degrees north of the Galactic center. Consistent with other radio transients toward the Galactic center, this source brightened and faded on a time scale of a few months. No X-ray counterpart was detected. We also report new 0.33 GHz measurements of the radio counterpart to the X-ray transient source, XTE J1748-288, previously detected and monitored at higher radio frequencies. We show that the spectrum of XTE J1748-288 steepened considerably during a period of a few months after its peak. We also discuss the need for a more efficient means of finding additional radio transients

An Optical and X-ray Examination of Two Radio Supernova Remnant Candidates in 30 Doradus

The giant HII region 30 Doradus is known for its violent internal motions and bright diffuse X-ray emission, suggesting the existence of supernova remnants (SNRs), but no nonthermal radio emission has been detected. Recently, Lazendic et al. compared the H-alpha/H-beta and radio/H-alpha ratios and suggested two small radio sources to be nonthermal and thus SNR candidates; however, no optical or X-ray counterparts were detected. We have used high-resolution optical images and high-dispersion spectra to examine the morphological, spectral, and kinematic properties of these two SNR candidates, and still find no optical evidence supporting their identification as SNRs. We have also determined the X-ray luminosities of these SNR candidates, and find them 1-3 orders of magnitude lower than those commonly seen in young SNRs. High extinction can obscure optical and X-ray signatures of an SNR, but would prohibit the use of a high radio/H-alpha ratio to identify nonthermal radio emission. We suggest that the SNR candidate MCRX J053831.8-690620 is associated with a young star forming region; while the radio emission originates from the obscured star forming region, the observed optical emission is dominated by the foreground. We suggest that the SNR candidate MCRX J053838.8-690730 is associated with a dust/molecular cloud, which obscures some optical emission but not the radio emission.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the ApJ, Nov 10, 200

Nod factors thin-layer chromatography profiling as a tool to characterize symbiotic specificity of rhizobial strains : application to Sinorhizobium saheli, S. teranga, and Rhizobium sp. strains isolated from Acacia and Sesbania

Rhizobia isolated from #Acacia or #Sesbania belong to several taxonomic groups, including the newly described species #Sinorhizobium saheli, #Sinorhizobium teranga, and the so-called cluster U. A collection of strains belonging to these different groups was analyzed in order to determine whether the host range of a strain could be correlated with various molecular nodulation determinants. Nodulation tests showed that, independently of their taxonomic position, all the strains isolated from the same plant genus exhibited a similar host range, which was different for #Sesbania and #Acacia isolates. The fact that #S. teranga strains nodulate either #Acacia or #Sesbania led us to subdivide this species into biovars #acaciae and #sesbaniae. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis of the Nod factors synthesized by overproducing strains showed that strains isolated from the same plant genus exhibited similar TLC profiles and profiles of #Acacia and #Sesbania symbionts were easily distinguishable, #Acacia strains producing, in particular, sulfated molecules. In contrast, no correlation could be established between the host range of a strain and its plasmid content, the nature of the nod gene inducers or the presence of DNA sequences homologous to specific nod genes. We thus propose that Nod factor TLC profiling may be used as an easy and powerful tool for the classification of rhizobial strains on the basis of their symbiotic properties. (Résumé d'auteur