In the Age of Web: Typed Functional-First Programming Revisited

Most programming languages were designed before the age of web. This matters because the web changes many assumptions that typed functional language designers take for granted. For example, programs do not run in a closed world, but must instead interact with (changing and likely unreliable) services and data sources, communication is often asynchronous or event-driven, and programs need to interoperate with untyped environments. In this paper, we present how the F# language and libraries face the challenges posed by the web. Technically, this comprises using type providers for integration with external information sources and for integration with untyped programming environments, using lightweight meta-programming for targeting JavaScript and computation expressions for writing asynchronous code. In this inquiry, the holistic perspective is more important than each of the features in isolation. We use a practical case study as a starting point and look at how F# language and libraries approach the challenges posed by the web. The specific lessons learned are perhaps less interesting than our attempt to uncover hidden assumptions that no longer hold in the age of web.Comment: In Proceedings ML/OCaml 2014, arXiv:1512.0143

Issues in evaluating tax and payment arrangements for publicly owned minerals

Many developing countries are still heavily dependent on mineral extraction to generate fiscal revenue and to earn foreign exchange. When minerals form a significant proportion of the country's asset base it is particularly important to have a framework to evaluate the adequacy of compensation schemes. Are these countries collecting enough in return for depleting their reserves? Are these countries carrying too much of the risk? This paper describes work in progress in developing such a framework. In many mineral dependent countries, the government holds the mineral rights and enters into compensation agreements with public or private firms that will extract the resources. Given the high degree of risk and uncertainty associated with mineral development, determining tax/payment arrangements is further complicated by the need to develop risk-sharing schemes between government and the resource extractors. This paper reviews these issues briefly and concludes that when objectives are not perfectly correlated it is preferable to use multiple instruments and to match each instrument to an objectives.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Insurance&Risk Mitigation

The importance of community development for health and well-being

Public health - Economic aspects

Acoustically controlled enhancement of molecular sensing to assess oxidative stress in cells

We demonstrate a microfluidic platform for the controlled aggregation of colloidal silver nanoparticles using surface acoustic waves (SAWs), enabling surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis of a cell based model for oxidative damage. We show that by varying the frequency and the power of the acoustic energy, it is possible to modulate the aggregation of the colloid within the sample and hence to optimise the SERS analysis

Equal Opportunities: Towards a greater understanding of the fulfilment of Women’s career aspirations in senior management

Firms are beginning to understand that a key to economic growth and competitive advantage lies in gender diversity within senior leadership positons, yet the number of women who hold senior managerial positions remains disproportionately small. Research shows that many women who aspire to senior management plateau in middle management positons despite obtaining the necessary education, skills and expertise to advance. Therefore this exploratory study sought to understand how women approach their career decisions, within the context of their lived realities, by focussing on the research question “what factors or circumstances influence women middle managers career planning and advancement decisions? “. Eight women were interviewed who held middle management positons for at least 5 years. From analysis of the interview text five interconnected themes emerged: Trial and error, Mentorship, Self-confidence, Value alignment and Perceived organisational value. These themes add insight to the existing literature addressing how women approach their careers and lives. Furthermore the findings of this research indicate actions that can be considered by organisations to support the retention and development of women’s career pathway towards senior management. Areas for future research are also identified

Factors influencing the relationship between the dose of amlodipine required for blood pressure control and change in blood pressure in hypertensive cats

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a common problem in elderly cats. In most cats, systolic blood pressure (SBP) of <160 mmHg is achieved in response to amlodipine besylate at either 0.625 or 1.25 mg q24h. The individual cat factors determining dose requirement dose have not been explored. AIMS: To determine whether individual cat factors influence the dose of amlodipine required to achieve adequate blood pressure control and to determine whether factors other than the prescribed dose of drug alter the achieved plasma amlodipine concentrations. METHODS: Fifty‐nine hypertensive cats that required 0.625 mg (A) and 41 cats that required 1.25 mg (B) amlodipine to reach a target SBP of <160 mmHg were identified, and plasma amlodipine concentrations were determined. Comparisons were made between groups, and multivariable linear regression models were performed to investigate predictors of antihypertensive response. RESULTS: Cats that required a greater dose of amlodipine had significantly higher SBP at diagnosis of hypertension (A: (median [25th, 75th percentile]) 182 [175,192] mmHg; B: 207 [194,217] mmHg, P < .001), but comparable blood pressure was achieved after treatment. Plasma amlodipine concentrations were directly related to the dose of amlodipine administered. At diagnosis, cats in group B had significantly lower plasma potassium concentration (A: 4.1 [3.8,4.5]; B: 3.8 [3.6,4.2] mEq/L, P < .01). Weight did not differ between groups. The decrease in SBP was directly and independently associated with the SBP at diagnosis and the plasma amlodipine concentration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats with higher blood pressure at diagnosis might require a greater dose of amlodipine to control their blood pressure adequately. Differences in amlodipine pharmacokinetics between cats do not seem to play a role in the antihypertensive response

Spanish Pomponii. A study in Nomenclature

Sin resume

Frustration of crystallisation by a liquid–crystal phase

Frustration of crystallisation by locally favoured structures is critically important in linking the phenomena of supercooling, glass formation, and liquid-liquid transitions. Here we show that the putative liquid-liquid transition in n-butanol is in fact caused by geometric frustration associated with an isotropic to rippled lamellar liquid-crystal transition. Liquid-crystal phases are generally regarded as being “in between” the liquid and the crystalline state. In contrast, the liquid-crystal phase in supercooled n-butanol is found to inhibit transformation to the crystal. The observed frustrated phase is a template for similar ordering in other liquids and likely to play an important role in supercooling and liquid-liquid transitions in many other molecular liquids

Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of a new chewable formulation of amlodipine for the treatment of hypertension in client-owned cats

BACKGROUND: There is an unmet clinical need for a cat‐specific formulation of amlodipine to treat hypertensive cats. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of chewable amlodipine tablets in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) in cats diagnosed with systemic arterial hypertension. ANIMALS: Seventy‐seven client‐owned cats with systemic hypertension were included (median age 14 years). METHODS: The study was randomized, double‐blinded, and placebo‐controlled. Forty‐two cats received 0.125–0.50 mg/kg amlodipine once daily for 28 days; 35 cats received placebo. After 28 days all cats continued with amlodipine for 2–3 months in an open‐label phase. Blood pressure was measured using high definition oscillometry. A responder was defined as a cat showing a decrease of SBP to <150 mmHg at 28 days or a decrease from baseline ≥15%. RESULTS: Sixty‐one cats completed the study. The responder rate was 63% in amlodipine group and 18% in placebo group. Cats receiving amlodipine were 7.9 (95% CI 2.6–24.1) times more likely to be classified as responders when compared to those receiving placebo (P < .001). From a mean (±SD) baseline value of 181 (±12) mmHg, SBP decreased to 154 (±17) mmHg with amlodipine and to 170 (±21) mmHg with placebo (P < .001). The voluntary acceptance rate of amlodipine formulation was 73%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The chewable amlodipine tablet effectively reduced SBP compared with placebo in hypertensive cats, and was well‐tolerated. It can be used concomitantly with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and in cats with chronic kidney disease