Call-by-name Gradual Type Theory

We present gradual type theory, a logic and type theory for call-by-name gradual typing. We define the central constructions of gradual typing (the dynamic type, type casts and type error) in a novel way, by universal properties relative to new judgments for gradual type and term dynamism, which were developed in blame calculi and to state the "gradual guarantee" theorem of gradual typing. Combined with the ordinary extensionality ($\eta$) principles that type theory provides, we show that most of the standard operational behavior of casts is uniquely determined by the gradual guarantee. This provides a semantic justification for the definitions of casts, and shows that non-standard definitions of casts must violate these principles. Our type theory is the internal language of a certain class of preorder categories called equipments. We give a general construction of an equipment interpreting gradual type theory from a 2-category representing non-gradual types and programs, which is a semantic analogue of Findler and Felleisen's definitions of contracts, and use it to build some concrete domain-theoretic models of gradual typing

A possible role for endogenous glucocorticoids in orchiectomy-induced atrophy of the rat levator ani muscle: Studies with RU38486, a potent and selective antiglucocorticoid

RU38486, a potent and selective antiglucocorticoid, was employed to study a possible role for endogenous glucocorticoids in atrophy of the levator ani muscle secondary to castration of male rats. RU38486 was shown to block (3H) triamcinolone acetonide binding to cytosol from levator ani muscle. Daily oral administration of RU38486 to castrated rats partially prevented atrophy of the levator ani muscle, as well as a decrease in RNA concentration. In a control group receiving RU38486 alone, the levator ani underwent significant (20%) hypertrophy. Administration of exogenous dexamethasone also caused pronounced atrophy of the levator ani muscle. This atrophy was prevented, to a significant degree, by simultaneous oral administration of RU38486. It is concluded that endogenous glucocorticoids, the actions of which are blocked by RU38486, may be involved in regulation of the mass of the levator ani muscle in intact rats

Sex steroids do not affect muscle weight, oxidative metabolism or cytosolic androgen reception binding of functionally overloaded rat Plantaris muscles

The effects of sex steroids on muscle weight and oxidative capacity of rat planaris muscles subjected to functional overload by removal of synergistic muscles were investigated. Ten weeks after bilateral synergist removal, plantaris muscles were significantly hypertrophic compared with unoperated controls. After this period, the ability of the muscles to oxide three substrates of oxidative metabolism was assessed. Experimental procedures are discussed and results are presented herein. Results suggest a lack of beneficial effect of sex hormone status on the process of hypertrophy and on biochemical changes in overloaded muscle. Such findings are not consistent with the idea of synergistic effects of sex steroids and muscle usage

Drug Management Reviews in District Drug Management Unit and General Hospital

Drug is one of the essential elements in healthcare that should be effectively and efficiently managed. Following the decentralization in 2001 in Indonesia, drug management has changed in district drug management units and also in District General Hospitals. Certainly this condition influences the sustainability of drug access in primary health care such as in Community Health Center and District General Hospital, especially in drug financing policy. A cross sectional descriptive study to obtain information on drug management in public healthcare in district had been carried out between July and December 2006 in 10 District Public Drug Management Units from 10 district health offices and 9 district general hospitals as samples. Data were collected by interviewing heads of Drug Section in District Health Offices and heads of Hospital Pharmacies using structured questionnaires and observing drug storage in District Drug Management Units, Community Health Centers, and Hospital Pharmacies. Results of the study show that drug planning in District Health Offices and General Hospitals did not meet the basic real need in some districts nor District Hospitals. The minimum health service standards had not been achieved yet. Furthermore, drug procurement, storage and recording as well as reporting was not good enough either, such as shown by the existence of expired drugs. Lead time for drug delivery to community health centers in some districts was longer than the average of lead time in the past 3 years

Zero-bias molecular electronics: Exchange-correlation corrections to Landauer's formula

Standard first principles calculations of transport through single molecules miss exchange-correlation corrections to the Landauer formula. From Kubo response theory, both the Landauer formula and these corrections in the limit of zero bias are derived and calculations are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Communication

Call-by-Name Gradual Type Theory

We present gradual type theory, a logic and type theory for call-by-name gradual typing. We define the central constructions of gradual typing (the dynamic type, type casts and type error) in a novel way, by universal properties relative to new judgments for gradual type and term dynamism. These dynamism judgements build on prior work in blame calculi and on the "gradual guarantee" theorem of gradual typing. Combined with the ordinary extensionality (eta) principles that type theory provides, we show that most of the standard operational behavior of casts is uniquely determined by the gradual guarantee. This provides a semantic justification for the definitions of casts, and shows that non-standard definitions of casts must violate these principles. Our type theory is the internal language of a certain class of preorder categories called equipments. We give a general construction of an equipment interpreting gradual type theory from a 2-category representing non-gradual types and programs, which is a semantic analogue of the interpretation of gradual typing using contracts, and use it to build some concrete domain-theoretic models of gradual typing

Dedication of the Palomar Observatory and the Hale Telescope

The dedication of the Palomar Observatory, if it were being held in England, would be accompanied by brilliant pageantry both of the state, with its knights, heralds, pursuivants, kings at arms, admirals and captains, and of the church with its bishops, priests and deacons, crucifiers and choirs; and I am sure that we feel the quality of religion in this ceremony. We would hear the choirs chanting in antiphony that great canticle which so delights the choir boys: Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Follow-up question handling in the IMIX and Ritel systems: A comparative study

One of the basic topics of question answering (QA) dialogue systems is how follow-up questions should be interpreted by a QA system. In this paper, we shall discuss our experience with the IMIX and Ritel systems, for both of which a follow-up question handling scheme has been developed, and corpora have been collected. These two systems are each other's opposites in many respects: IMIX is multimodal, non-factoid, black-box QA, while Ritel is speech, factoid, keyword-based QA. Nevertheless, we will show that they are quite comparable, and that it is fruitful to examine the similarities and differences. We shall look at how the systems are composed, and how real, non-expert, users interact with the systems. We shall also provide comparisons with systems from the literature where possible, and indicate where open issues lie and in what areas existing systems may be improved. We conclude that most systems have a common architecture with a set of common subtasks, in particular detecting follow-up questions and finding referents for them. We characterise these tasks using the typical techniques used for performing them, and data from our corpora. We also identify a special type of follow-up question, the discourse question, which is asked when the user is trying to understand an answer, and propose some basic methods for handling it

Testosterone enhances C-14 2-deoxyglucose uptake by striated muscle

The effect of testosterone propionate (TP) on C-14 2-deoxyglucose (C-14 2DG) uptake was studied in the rat levator ani muscle in vivo using the autoradiographic technique. Following a delay of 1 to 3 h after injecting TP, the rate of C-14 2DG uptake in experimental animals began to increase and continued to increase for at least 20 h. The label, which corresponds to C-14 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, as demonstrated by chromatographic analysis of muscle extracts, was uniformly distributed over the entire muscle and was predominantly in muscle fibers, although nonmuscular elements were also labeled. The 1 to 3 h time lag suggests that the TP effect may be genomic, acting via androgen receptors, rather than directly on muscle membranes. Acceleration of glucose uptake may be an important early event in the anabolic response of the rat levator ani muscle to androgens

Anomalous Axion Interactions and Topological Currents in Dense Matter

Recently an effective Lagrangian for the interactions of photons, Nambu-Goldstone bosons and superfluid phonons in dense quark matter has been derived using anomaly matching arguments. In this paper we illuminate the nature of certain anomalous terms in this Lagrangian by an explicit microscopic calculation. We also generalize the corresponding construction to introduce the axion field. We derive an anomalous axion effective Lagrangian describing the interactions of axions with photons and superfluid phonons in the dense matter background. This effective Lagrangian, among other things, implies that an axion current will be induced in the presence of magnetic field. We speculate that this current may be responsible for the explanation of neutron star kicks.Comment: 10 page