The Aesthetics of Theory Selection and the Logics of Art

Philosophers of science discuss whether theory selection depends on aesthetic judgments or criteria, and whether these putatively aesthetic features are genuinely extra-epistemic. As examples, judgments involving criteria such as simplicity and symmetry are often cited. However, other theory selection criteria, such as fecundity, coherence, internal consistency, and fertility, more closely match those criteria used in art contexts and by scholars working in aesthetics. Paying closer attention to the way these criteria are used in art contexts allows us to understand some evaluative and developmental practices in scientific theory selection as genuinely aesthetic, enlarging the scope of the goals of science

Molecular Characterization of Whey Protein Hydrolysate Fractions with Ferrous Chelating and Enhanced Iron Solubility Capabilities

The ferrous (Fe²⁺) chelating capabilities of WPI hydrolysate fractions produced via cascade membrane filtration were investigated, specifically 1 kDa permeate (P) and 30 kDa retentate (R) fractions. The 1 kDa-P possessed a Fe²⁺ chelating capability at 1 g L^–1 equivalent to 84.4 μM EDTA (for 30 kDa-R the value was 8.7 μM EDTA). Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the structural characteristics of hydrolysates and molecular interactions with Fe²⁺. Solid-phase extraction was employed to enrich for chelating activity; the most potent chelating fraction was enriched in histidine and lysine. The solubility of ferrous sulfate solutions (10 mM) over a range of pH values was significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.05) improved in dispersions of hydrolysate fraction solutions (10 g protein L^–1). Total iron solubility was improved by 72% in the presence of the 1 kDa-P fraction following simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID) compared to control FeSO₄·7H₂O solutions

Vicilogic: Linking Online Learning, Assessment and Prototyping with Remote FPGA

International audienceVicilogic links online learning, assessment and prototyping with remote FPGA hardware. vicilogic provides online training and practice in digital systems design, RISC-V computer architecture and applications, and FPGA-based data and pixel processing applications. The vicilogic course browser interacts with transparently with an auto-allocated remote FPGA, control-ling and probing real remote hardware signals enabling presentation of a visually-rich, interactive learn-by-doing pedagogy, supporting guided learn-ing, self-paced training, component sandboxes, knowledge checks, automat-ed hardware application execution demos and remote FPGA prototyping. The vicilogic course builder provides course tutors with the facility to se-lect individual lessons into a tailored, indexed course.This paper presents the current vicilogic course portfolio, available to ECE and CS audiences. The paper presents the recently developed FPGA-based data and pixel processing applications course, which uses a structured, top-down and finite state machine-based design and documentation methodol-ogy. The paper presents DSPProc image thresholding, Sobel edge detection and a breakout game design examples. The course provides a lesson for each DSPProc component, with downloadable AMD Xilinx Vivado projects. The HDLGen client application, developed by the vicilogic team provides a wizard for fast capture of VHDL models and testbenches, and automatic Vivado project creation.The paper also presents the extended integrated development and debug en-vironment (IDE), used in the reported vicilogic RISC-V Online Tutor course [2]. The extended IDE provides enhanced remote RISC-V assembly program application development and debug. The paper presents a remote RISC-V breakout game application.</p

Iodine status of teenage girls on the island of Ireland

Purpose The trace element iodine is a vital constituent of thyroid hormones. Iodine requirements increase during pregnancy, when even mild deficiency may affect the neurocognitive development of the offspring. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is the means of assessing iodine status in population surveys; a median UIC of 100–199 µg/L is deemed sufficient in a non-pregnant population. Milk is the main dietary source of iodine in the UK and Ireland. Methods We surveyed the iodine status of 903 girls aged 14–15 years in seven sites across the island of Ireland. Urine iodine concentration was measured in spot-urine samples collected between March 2014 and October 2015. Food group intake was estimated from iodine-specific food-frequency questionnaire. Milk-iodine concentration was measured at each site in summer and winter. Results The median UIC overall was 111 µg/L. Galway was the only site in the deficient range (median UIC 98 µg/L). All five of the Republic of Ireland sites had UIC ≤ 105 µg/L. In the two sites surveyed twice, UIC was lower in summer vs winter months [117 µg/L (IQR 76–165) vs 130 µg/L (IQR 91–194) (p ˂ 0.01)]. Milk samples collected from Galway and Roscommon had a lower mean iodine concentration than those from Derry/Londonderry (p ˂ 0.05). Milk intake was positively associated with UIC (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusions This is the largest survey of its kind on the island of Ireland, which currently has no iodine-fortification programme. Overall, the results suggest that this young female population sits at the low end of sufficiency, which has implications if, in future, they enter pregnancy with borderline status.</p

High rate of persistent symptoms up to 4 months after community and hospital-managed SARS-CoV-2 infection

Recovery after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains uncertain. A considerable proportion of patients experience persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection which impacts health-related quality of life and physical function