Food engineering programs should provide students with practical activities related to the analysis of unit operations, within the context of food processing. Both effectiveness and efficiency should be evaluated, so students can recognize the importance of achieving an objective and quantifying resources employed to achieve the goal. We describe an undergraduate-level food engineering laboratory exercise divided in two sections. Both use carrot cylinders in vinegar solutions, packed in glass jars with metal lids, thermally processed in boiling water. In the first section (thermal processing) students collect time and temperature data during a heat penetration study. The experimental variable is the process time, and the response variable is the accumulated lethality (Tref = 93.3ºC, z = 8.9ºC). In the second section (acidification), students collect time and pH data during an acidification study. The experimental variables are the acetic acid concentration and the acidification time, and the response variable is the carrot cylinders’ pH. In both sections, students perform basic statistical analyses, carrying out calculations related to non-linear regression, prediction intervals, inverse prediction, and model verification. This laboratory exercise can assist in illustrating concepts, techniques, measurements, calculations, model development, and statistical analyses related to thermal processing and acidification of food.
The diversity of quantum hardware platforms creates significant algorithm portability challenges, with each platform employing distinct instruction sets, gate implementations, and physical constraints that hinder software reusability. This paper presents a framework for designing portable quantum assembly languages enabling seamless cross-platform execution. Through systematic profiling of Shor’s, Grover’s, and QAOA algorithms on IBM Qiskit, Microsoft Q#, and Google Cirq — 3,216 executions of identical, reference-validated logical circuits — we identify key portability challenges and derive empirically grounded design criteria from execution-pattern analysis. With matched workloads, cross-platform circuit-depth divergence is 1.3–1.6× where no gate decomposition is required and rises to 94.8× under multi-controlled decomposition pressure, of which 3.36× is genuine same-level synthesis divergence and the remainder an abstraction-level measurement gap; optimization semantics, topology expressibility, and quantum–classical execution contracts diverge analogously. The framework balances hardware abstraction with performance optimization through declared abstraction levels, topology-aware compilation, optimization profiles with defined semantics, and a universal gate set with platform-specific decomposition. Prototype validation demonstrates 100% automated compilation of unmodified single-source programs across 30 platform configurations, with all 90 executions passing calibrated distributional acceptance gates and exact statevector fidelity of 1.000000 against the language’s reference semantics, providing feasibility evidence for vendor-independent quantum software development.
Carvacrol, a phenolic compound found in oregano oil, exerts beneficial health effects through the selective modulation of the gut microbiota. Its antimicrobial action, which preferentially targets pathogens, promotes the growth of commensal bacteria and enhances the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, an effect mediated exclusively by the microbiome. In addition, carvacrol strengthens the intestinal epithelial barrier, induces endogenous antioxidant mechanisms, and exerts potent anti-inflammatory activity. The outcome of these actions is a notable improvement in metabolic parameters, including insulin sensitivity and lipid profile, as well as protection against chronic inflammation and colorectal carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by low bioavailability, attributed to extensive metabolism by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Overcoming this limitation through the design of nanotechnology-based delivery systems represents a key frontier for the development of clinical applications based on this promising nutraceutical.
This study addresses the design and simulation of a low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer prototype based on a modular Halbach array of permanent magnets. The objective was to develop a low-cost system with high magnetic-field homogeneity for teaching and research purposes at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. In the initial phase, six geometric–magnetic configurations were evaluated through stationary simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics, varying the number of rings and magnet grades (N52 and N55), achieving a field inhomogeneity of 1,14%. The configuration consisting of six N55 magnet rings produced a central field of 0,305 T, this is the array used. The spectrometer was modeled by incorporating a series RLC probe with the following properties: 1 µH, 8,16 Ω, and 150,15 pF, as well as an SR560 preamplifier and a BT00250-AlphaA RF amplifier. The simulation of the 90° excitation pulse and the generation of free induction decay (FID) signals validated a pulse peak of 59 µT and an experimental FID amplitude of 30,000 a.u. Spectral analysis clearly revealed the characteristic doublet of the XA₁ spin system centered at the Larmor frequency of 12,986 MHz, confirming the expected spectral resolution. The strong agreement between theoretical and experimental results demonstrates the robustness of the design and its suitability for low-field NMR applications, providing a reliable and cost-effective platform for future research and teaching activities.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an inherited disorder mainly associated with pathogenic variants in SERPINA1, which cause misfolded protein accumulation in the liver and reduced pulmonary antiprotease protection. This article reviews recent advances in gene therapies for AATD and proposes an alternative model based on epigenetic activation of SERPINA3 using CRISPRa. The strategy would use mRNA encoding dCas9-VP64 or dCas9-p300core and sgRNAs targeting the SERPINA3 promoter, delivered through GalNAc-functionalized lipid nanoparticles. The approach would be evaluated initially in hepatocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and subsequently in humanized liver mouse models. Gene expression, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin secretion, antiprotease activity, cell viability, and potential off-target effects would be assessed. The model seeks to determine whether controlled SERPINA3 activation can partially compensate for the protease-antiprotease imbalance associated with AATD without directly modifying the DNA sequence, thereby providing a potentially reversible compensatory strategy for further preclinical investigation and validation in relevant experimental systems.
